The 14th Division
by Jason's Taylor
Summary: In the midst of his 100th year celebration as Captain and 100th year celebration for his 14th Division, Ichigo and Rukia are asked to be guest speakers at the Shinigami Academy. They are assigned of telling a 100 years worth of history. Some Romance in later Chapters, more Adventure/Action towards the beginning. Please Rate and Review. Rated T for slight language.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Rated Teen for very sparse use of swear words (mostly "hell"). There may be "Lemons" etc., in future chapters, but will be listed as a One-Shot. Multiple Pairings Standard, some O.O.C's and fluff.

Thanks to all who showed interest in this fanfic. This is my first time writing something for Bleach. Main "genre" would be Romance with multiple pairings and some Adventure. My poor attempt at Humor too =[. This story is resumed after he obtains his Shinigami powers back from the Xcution Arc. Story mixes Anime and Manga elements.

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_Chapter One: Reflections and Flashbacks_

"Captain Kurosaki, I've completed my mission successfully! I've already submitted my report to Lieutenant Kuchiki" the Shinigami spoke. The man he was addressing grabbed the Shinigami to a standing position. "Uh…Ca-Captain?"

"I told you idiot," Ichigo sighed, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "You didn't have to bow down to me. Makes it feel awkward, but good job. If you don't have anything else you're dismissed."

As the Shinigami excused himself, Ichigo took an uncharacteristically long sigh as he walked back into his office. He slid his chair into his desk and leaned against it, looking out the window. Outside, he saw the main courtyard of his barracks where his squad was training. A small smile forming on his lips, Ichigo grabbed his giant Zanpakuto and walked towards the door.

Ichigo stepped out of the Captain's office as he walked to a secluded part of his barracks, arriving at a small patch of grasslands with a stream flowing through it. It wasn't much, but this place was one of the few places that Ichigo could find himself truly at peace. Since his inception as a Captain and the new division, he needed a place to escape from the judgmental eyes and politics of Seireitei during work hours. This small area was his little oasis in the barracks.

_**"What are you thinking, Ichigo?" **_a deep voice rang out through the silence.

_"Nothing really," _Ichigo spoke mentally to his Zanpakuto. _"Just reflecting I guess…"_

_**"Mmm..." **_Zangetsu's voice echoed through his mind. _**"…you know that you can speak to me anytime, Ichigo, but don't stress too much, it's not as bad as you think it is…"**_

As Zangetsu's voice faded away, Ichigo placed his Zanpakuto down on the ground. He took off his Haoir and folded it roughly over his sword before lying down on the grass. As he cushioned his head with his hands, his mind went back to the thought of his squad; it would be the centennial celebration of the 14th Division as well as his Captaincy. It was a tough journey for him and his squad, but they have managed to pull through the years with high honors from the Captain-Commander and the newly established Central 46. Ichigo pushed the thoughts aside as he felt weight on top of his chest, a hand on his chin. As he opened his eyes and raised his head, he was greeted by a woman with long, raven black hair, her arms covered with a fingerless white tekkou that covered her forearms. Ichigo gave a slight smile as he reached out to the woman's cheeks with one of his hands, causing her to open her eyes and smile as well.

"Well, good afternoon Captain _Strawberry,_" the woman spoke playfully. "I see that my Captain is working very hard."

"Well hello, Lieutenant _Midget,_" Ichigo replied, a hint of irritation in his voice. "What you want?"

"Ahhh, it looks like the 'Hero of Soul Society' is getting grouchy." The woman spoke as she kept the playful demeanor. As Ichigo started to scowl, she cleared her throat before continuing. "I thought I'd let you know that you have to head to the Shinigami Academy soon…"

"Ah hell…I have to do _that _again!" Ichigo complained as he pushed himself to a sitting position. The woman had simply slid down, her head resting on his thighs. "Rukia, why can't you go in my place? It's not like you weren't there…"

"You idiot! We were _both_ requested to attend," Rukia spoke, hitting the top of Ichigo's head softly. "And you were the one who told me to do your paperwork!"

"Alright, alright! Jeez..." Ichigo sighed as he tried to push himself off the grass. He would've succeeded in sitting up until Rukia lightly pushed him back down. "Rukia, what -." He was silenced by soft lips. Before Ichigo could react, Rukia pulled back with a small smile.

"We can just use shunpo to get there…" she began. "…and besides, both of us have been busy, I barely get to see you…"

Ichigo didn't speak for a moment; there were truth in her words. For the past 4 months, the 14th Division was berated with preparations for the upcoming Centennial celebration. The 11th Divison's been flooding requests for a celebratory combat exercise, the 9th had been requesting all the seated Officers for an interview, and various Divisions and departments have been requesting Ichigo's presence. Pushing these thoughts aside, Ichigo pushed himself up. Rukia followed suit.

"I'll tell you what," Ichigo started, placing his hand above Rukia's, squeezing slightly. "After this whole thing ends, you and I can take couple days off and visit Karakura Town and other places for a couple days." Rukia gave a small nod and a smile. They haven't visited Ichigo's and Urahara's families in a while. With that promise, Ichigo stood up first, donning his captain's Haori and Zanpakuto. The two Shinigamis walked towards the Shinigami Academy, their fingers interlaced with each other.

_**Shinigami Academy**_

"…so it is a privilege to announce Captain Kurosaki Ichigo and Lieutenant Kuchiki Rukia to the Academy today!" an instructor exclaimed. As the Captain and Lieutenant walked into the amphitheater-like lecture hall, every trainee cheered enthusiastically as if it was some rock concert. Once the pair stood in the middle, Ichigo had raised a hand, immediately silencing the crowd into dead silence. It was Rukia who spoke first.

"Thank you for your warm welcome, students!" Rukia exclaimed cheerfully. "Obviously, we are here to talk about the history of the 14th Division, as well as my Captain's past! Your instructor tells me you've already covered the part where my Captain was just a Substitute Shinigami…right?"

As she finished her sentence, most of the students mumbled in agreement. The mumbling stopped as soon as it begun, mostly because of the scowl that Ichigo was wearing. Rukia elbowed the Captain "lightly," giving him an incentive to force a smile and to speak. After recovering from the surprise elbow, Ichigo recovered and stepped forwards.

"Alright, I guess it makes things easier. I'll answer couple questions before I go into the next part I guess…" As he finished, there were quite a few hands up. "…oh by the way, if it pertains to my love life, I won't answer it." Ichigo began to smirk as he saw most of the hands fall back down. He picked a male student in the middle area of the lecture hall by shunpo'ing next to him. The boy was startled but managed to ask his question.

"Is-is it true that you-you've reached Ba-bankai in 3 days Captain Kurosaki-dono?" the boy stammered.

"First of all, Captain Kurosaki is fine, I don't care for honorifics. Secondly, yes, I have achieved Bankai in 3 days." Ichigo remarked. "Oh yea, I forgot to mention, I may or may not use shunpo to you so…next question?"

As Ichigo looked around the lecture hall, he didn't notice anyone's hands up. Sighing to himself, he shunpo-ed back to the stage.

"That's kinda funny, I say don't ask me anything about relationship questions and they don't really have anything to ask me…" Ichigo spoke half-mockingly to his Lieutenant. "Am I that popular around Soul Society or something?"

With this, Rukia couldn't help but kick her Captain in the shins 'enthusiastically.' Grabbing his shin in pain, Ichigo leaned against the desk, his scowl returning to his face.

"What the hell was that for?" Ichigo yelled to his Lieutenant.

"Captain _Strawberry_-dono, I must make sure your head doesn't get too big," Rukia said mockingly in the exaggerated sweet voice.

"Listen, Lieutenant _Midget_, it was an honest question!" Ichigo retorted. As Ichigo and Rukia went back and forth with their bickering, the entire lecture hall had developed a blank, confused expression. After a little while, the head instructor cleared his throat loudly and the arguing duo had stopped; their cheeks were slightly red.

"Damn it, whatever…" Ichigo trailed off, as he scratched the back of his head. Facing the gathered class, he took a breath and sighed. "Alright, so let me tell you what happened after I got my powers back…"

_**Flashback, Approximately 100 Years Ago**_

It had been a month since Ginjo Kugo's burial in the World of the Living. As promised, Ichigo had been working as the Substitute Shinigami since the end of the Xcution incident. It had been reasonably quiet during the month after Ichigo had regained his power as a Shinigami, with only a few Hollows lurking about. The Substitute Shinigami would usually bounce between school, slaying Hollows, and train with Urahara Kisuke. Today was a minor anomaly, for Ichigo had been summoned to Seireitei to meet with the high brass of the Gotei 13 Divisions.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," a gruff voice called out. The voice belonged to an ancient of a man, his beard passing down his waist. The old man's eyes were closed as he spoke. "Thank you for your timely arrival for this meeting."

"Not like I had a choice, gramps…" Ichigo spoke while he scratched the back of his head. "So why am I called to Soul Society?

"…hmph, well to business," Yamamoto spoke, discarding the fact he was called gramps. "Kurosaki Ichigo, due to your service to Soul Society, I am offering you to a spot as Captain of the 13 Protection Squads, as well as residence in Seireitei!"

_"So you need help in Soul So—wait WHAT?" _


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who is checking this work out =] Please Rate and Review, encourages me to write more frequently. My target goal is to get 1 Chapter up every week or so, but more encouragements means more chapters! =D

The first 2 Chapters serves as the summary for me. I didn't feel like writing a prologue like I did with my first work, as I find it slightly restricting. So I thought it'd be cool to use a chapter or 2 to introduce the general plot line =]

Without further ado, Chapter 2! Also a "what's next" for Chapter 3. I saw a lot of authors do a _"Previously" _and a _"Next Time on…."_ Let me know in the reviews if it's annoying or not. If it is I won't do it. If you guys like it, then I'll keep it going =D  
_

_Previously on The 14__th__ Division:_

_ "…hmph, well to business," Yamamoto spoke, discarding the fact he was called gramps. "Kurosaki Ichigo, due to your service to Soul Society, I am offering you to a spot as Captain of the 13 Protection Squads, as well as residence in Seireitei!"_

_ "So you need help in Soul So—wait WHAT?" _

_ Chapter 2: Decisions, Decisions_

"I will allow myself be repeated," the Captain-Commander spoke again. "Kurosaki Ichigo, I am offering you a position of Captain amongst the 13 Protection Squads and residency in Seireitei."

Since losing his powers, Ichigo hadn't been contacted by Rukia or Soul Society since all of his spiritual power had disappeared. He had tried to convince himself that he received the normal life he's always dreamed of: a life without being able to see ghosts. As the days rolled into weeks, Ichigo began to regret ever thinking that his life would be better without his spiritual power. His daily routine became a habit that he couldn't stop: school, work, home, school, work, home, and repeat. Ichigo tried to spice up his High School life by contracting himself out to several different teams and clubs, but even this lost its initial high. After about 2 years, his Shinigami powers had been returned to him to deal with Ginjo and the Xcution. A month later he was in Soul Society being offered a position in the 13 Court Guard Squads.

"I...I um…" Ichigo tried to formulate words. His mixed emotions had removed any coherent thought from his mind. Before he could utter a syllable, the Captain-Commander tapped his cane to the ground once.

"I realize that this is quite the proposition, Kurosaki Ichigo," the elder man began. "I will give you 5 days to reorganize yourself and come to a conclusion. I also ask that you stay in Soul Society in the meanwhile." As Ichigo only nodded in response, the Captain-Commander tapped his cane twice on the ground. As each captain had made to leave, one of them stopped in front of the orange-haired man. He was about the same height, but his long black hair neatly held by three kenseikan, the symbol of nobility in Soul Society.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," the man spoke, his voice devoid of any emotion. "You are to reside in the Kuchiki Manor. I have already set aside a room for you. My sister Rukia will lead you there." And without another word, the noble walked away.

"Damn…I have to stay at Byakuya's place?" Ichigo mumbled, as he turned around to exit the hall. His temporary home was the last of his worries, as he needed to go somewhere that he could think. Usually that would have been the riverbed that split Karakura Town in half. Since this wasn't his hometown, Ichigo flash-stepped to the highest point in Seireitei: Sokyoku Hill.

_**Meanwhile, in the Kuchiki Mansion**_

"Damn it! Where is he…" a short, raven haired woman spoke irritatingly, pacing around her room. As if to answer her question, there was a knock on her door. "Enter."

"Rukia…" the person behind the door spoke. "I have returned from the Captain's meeting."

"Byakuya Nii-Sama!" Rukia spoke, slightly startled that it was her brother behind the door. "How was the Captain's meeting?"

"I would advise you to not speak with him for the time being," Byakuya's cold stare landed on Rukia's. "He seems to require some time to organize his thoughts."

"Thank you Nii-Sama, I will do as you advise," Rukia spoke, bowing her head down in respect. As abruptly as he came, Byakuya left her room, the door closing behind him. Rukia relaxed slightly as she sat down, grabbing the Chappy plushie that was on her bed. Byakuya had told her about the offer that the Captain-Commander was proposing earlier in the day and the changes that would ensue if Ichigo accepted. Even though she wasn't Ichigo, she understood what he might be thinking. In his eyes, Soul Society had thrown away a used towel that was dirty. Even after the defeat of Aizen, Ichigo had pushed himself to assist Soul Society until his spiritual powers had completely vanished.

Those thoughts made her uneasy once again. Ichigo had chosen to assist Soul Society instead of Ginjo, but to assume that there wasn't any resentment would be wrong. Not being able to relax, Rukia sighed as she slid her Zanpakuto through her sash and walked out of the mansion. Ichigo needed an explanation and Rukia wanted to give it to him. Stepping out of the mansion, Rukia took a relaxing breath, trying to find the reiatsu of the Substitute Shinigami. Finding her target, she flash-stepped towards his direction.

_**Sokyoku Hill**_

As his mind finally started to calm, Ichigo couldn't help but to think back to the beginning of his Shinigami career. Initially, he had accepted the power to protect his home, his family, and the person who gave her power to him. As the days passed into weeks though, he had realized that his want of protecting others wasn't limited to his family or friends; he wanted to protect anyone and everyone. This fact surfaced when he invaded Soul Society with Inoue, Chad, Ishida, and Yoruichi to rescue Rukia from execution. Fast forward several months to the Winter War and the eventual loss of his powers. Despite the pain it brought him, Ichigo had realized that the 17 months of being a regular human was something he didn't want.

As he starts to recall one of his school days, Ichigo remembers a conversation with his career counselor.

_"Well, Ichigo…" the counselor began. "You definitely have high enough grades to attend most universities. Have you thought about what you want to pursue?"_

_ "Not really, nothing really interests me right now." Ichigo answered, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, I rather do something that's not all academic…"_

_ "Well, from your records here…" The counselor shifted through some paperwork, before looking at the one he was looking for. "…you've placed in the varsity teams of all sports in your first year in the team. Maybe becoming an athlete would be good?"_

_ The discussions bounced back and forth. After a while, the counselor sighed as he handed Ichigo a folder. With a short 'thank you,' Ichigo left the office, throwing away the folder as soon as he was out of eyesight of the counselor and his secretary. Ichigo sighed soon after; none of the recommendations of the folder interested him in the slightest. He reached into his pocket, feeling the once-Shinigami Substitute badge. He pulled it out, staring at the skull in the center._

Before he could finish his reflection, he felt a sudden jab at his temple, knocking Ichigo to his side. Annoyed at the disturbance, Ichigo turned around as one of his hands reached for his Zanpakuto.

"What the hell -," Ichigo was cut off by a kick to the stomach.

"What are you moping around for, Ichigo?" the newcomer asked harshly. As Ichigo recovered from the unexpected attacks, he saw who attacked him and relaxed his grip.

"What the hell, Rukia?" He yelled. "Don't just attack someone and ask 'whats wrong,' damn it!"

"Can't be helped, idiot!" Rukia spoke, irritation in her voice. "You had such a pitiful look on your face."

Ichigo didn't respond as he placed Zangetsu on the ground again as he recovered from the series of blows. After staring at him for several seconds, Rukia sighed as she followed suit. They were both sitting, observing the evening sun's natural fireworks in the sky. It was a comfortable silence that they've shared on many occasions. A comfortable silence fell between the two companions, neither wanting to break each other's thoughts. Before long, Rukia decided she need to speak her mind.

"Nii-sama told me about the proposition…" she began, still staring at the sunset. "…if I was you, I'd de-,"

"I'm accepting the offer," Ichigo cut her off, not looking at her.

"But why? You'll have time to once you pass on naturally, and it's not like you'll lose your memories either!" Rukia exclaimed, now looking at Ichigo. "Don't you want a life _before _I came along and took -"

"Gave me the power I wanted to protect others?" Ichigo cut her off again, a hint of annoyance in his voice. Looking at the fuming Rukia, he continued. "In your last year of graduation, the counselor from school looks through your files and gives you recommendations for a career. Truth is, nothing interested me.

"Only thing that kept popping up in my head was the spirits that needed to get konso-ed to Soul Society." Ichigo continued, not leaving any room for Rukia to speak. "You seem more adamant for me to stay in the Living World then I am. I'm not going to explain it to you yet, but we got time, now that I will be here for, pretty much eternity."

Another pause. Rukia had prepared a speech as to why Soul Society had "left" him as a human for 17 months. She had also prepared another speech about how Ichigo should remain in the Living World until natural death then serve as a Shinigami in Soul Society, but all that went out the window. She had this moment before; Rukia had begged, ordered and screamed, at Ichigo to not rescue her. Ichigo didn't listen and had succeeded in not only rescuing her, but also revealing the true motives of Aizen, Gin, and Tousen. And here she was, Kuchiki Rukia, attempting to convince the Shinigami Substitute to live in the human world and miserably failing. She looked down to the buildings of Seireitei with a defeated look on her face; she knew that once Ichigo had decided to do something, there wouldn't be anything that would break his resolve. It was then Ichigo looked at his companion, a scowl appearing in his face as he used his knuckles to hit Rukia on the head.

"What was that hit for, you moron?" Rukia retorted. "I can lose brain cells from getting hit by an idiot like you!"

"Sorry, sorry," Ichigo spoke, a smirk creeping up his face. "You had that _pitiful _look on your face. Come on, let's get back. I'm starving and I need to tell Byakuya to ask for the meeting tomorrow." Before Rukia could respond, Ichigo held up his hand.

"Do you remember what you said to me on June 17th?" Ichigo asked. "My fight against Grand Fisher?"

_Mini-Flashback_

_ "You're not going to ask me about my mom?"Ichigo asked, as they ran down the steps towards the graveyard._

_ "If I asked, would you answer?"Rukia asked, not looking at him. "It's your problem…a deep, deep problem. I have no way of asking about that. I have no elegant way of stepping into your heart without tracking in filth. _

"_So I will wait. Someday, when you want to tell me…" Rukia trailed off, as they both looked at each other. Rukia gave a small smile. "…tell me then. I'll wait until then."_

_End Mini-Flashback_

"What about it?" Rukia asked.

"I'll have more time to share it with you…" Ichigo trailed off, as he prepared to jump down the cliff. He looked back at Rukia, a rare smile resting on his lips. "…besides, there are more things I want to share." With that, Ichigo jumped and disappeared with the use of shunpo. Rukia sighed as she stood up and disappeared as well.

The moon was starting to take dominance in the night sky as the pair entered the Manor. Ichigo's stay had been relatively unexciting; he had an uncomfortable, silent dinner with Byakuya and was led to his room with a personal bath by one of the servants. As Ichigo stepped out of the bath in a yukata, he couldn't help but stare into the night sky on the porch. Ichigo allowed his mind to wander once again, tracing the stars to make random pictures. It was then Kuchiki Byakuya appeared silently, looking at the guest.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, it is customary for a guest to sleep in a designated time." Byakuya spoke as he stood by the shocked teenager.

"Byakuya, what the hell?" Ichigo jumped slightly from the shock. "You scared the crap out of me…but why are you up?"

"This is my manor, I can do as I please in my own home," Byakuya spoke again, his steely tone unrelenting. The Kuchiki's gaze hardened when Ichigo failed to use honorifics. Before he could comment on his rudness, Ichigo began to speak.

"Hey Byakuya," Ichigo began, not looking at his host. "Would it be okay to ask for that meeting tomorrow afternoon?"

"Am I to assume then," Byakuya turned his head to look at his guest. "You've made your decision on the Captain-Commander's request?"

"Ah, I have…" Ichigo trailed off as he met the cold gaze of Byakuya briefly. Without a word, Byakuya turned around to walk back to the direction he came from. "Tch…I swear, I'll fix that stuck-up eventually…"

_**Next Day, 1**__**st**__** Division's Office**_

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Yamamoto spoke in his usual gruff voice. "I have been told by Captain Kuchiki that you've finally made your decision."

"Ah, I have." Ichigo looked around. Not only were there the captains, but all the lieutenants were present also. "The 4 days I have left, I'd like to use it to say goodbye to my friends in the Material World."

Many of the captains and lieutenants sighed and smiled in relief. Captain Kurotsuchi and Zaraki gave off mischievous smiles; Mayuri wanted to examine Ichigo's Hollowfication powers and Kenpachi finally had someone challenging to duel every so often.

"For the record, Kurosaki Ichigo," the Captain-Commander spoke again, a light tap of the cane refocusing his captains and lieutenants. "I'd like for you to make a formal statement."

"Kinda annoying but alright, whatever…" Ichigo adjusted the cloth that was around his neck. "I accept the position of Captain as part of the 13 Protection Divisions, and will permanently transfer residency to Seireitei."

_Next Time, on The 14__th__ division_

_ "WHAT THE HELL?" Ichigo shouted as he tried to undo the Bakudo spell. "Why now, and why ME?"_

_ "Well, Captain Strawberry-Dono" Rukia spoke with the fake schoolgirl accent. "You are the one who asked me to plan the months leading to the celebration, and the Academy had requested that a captain show Zanjutsu to the students. What better way for you to show that to someone who can take your attacks?"_

_ A menacing gold reiatsu flowed around the Academy Stadium. The originator of the powerful reiatsu was laughing maniacally as he pointed his sword at the restrained Captain._

_ "Oy, Ichigo!" the man yelled, a wicked smile plastered on his face. "You've ran away from me for a better part of 5 years now! Let's have some fun, maybe these weak maggots will learn something about using a sword!"_

_ "KENPACHI!"_


	3. Chapter 3

Authors Notes: Thank you all for taking time to read this chapter! It was originally supposed to be 1 chapter, but the word count was through the roof (about 3k when I was done) so I decided to make it 2 separate chapters.

Sorry that the multiple pairing hasn't shown yet. Ichi/Ruki is obvious I hope. The next pairing will satisfy a certain group of Kenpachi/(BLANK =P) fans.

Sorry if my story seems to "take too long" to develop. As a writer, I tend to like savoring things a little too much, but I haven't gotten a complaint yet so I'm sticking with it (yes, I'm one of those that love 15+ chapter stories).

Review please! Thank you to theonedevin for the encouraging words! Thank you Dedibo for that, let me know how I did in this chapter.

_Previously, on The 14__th__ Division_

"_Kinda annoying but alright, whatever…" Ichigo adjusted the cloth that was around his neck. "I accept the position of Captain as part of the 13 Protection Divisions, and will permanently transfer residency to Seireitei." _

_**Present Time**_

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Captain Kurosaki," a man spoke. "But it's time for lunch."

"Tch, I was on a roll too," Ichigo clicked his tongue. "Alright then, mind leading us to the Dining Area?"

The instructors from the Shino Academy led the Captain and Lieutenant out of the large amphitheater back to the large field at the entrance of the Academy. Usually used for 1st year student inaugurations and graduations, the field was covered with tatami mats and neatly-rowed tables. There were cooking stations outlining three sides of the designated eating area, with one station in the middle. Near the middle cooking station was a roped off section, with the 14th Division's banner flying high. Following the instructors, Ichigo, and Rukia had settled down in their designated area, the waiters serving them their meal.

"Say Rukia, how long are we doing this stuff with the Academy?" Ichigo spoke as he swallowed a piece of beef. "They asked for a couple of days or something right?"

"Yes. You are giving a Zanjutsu combat demonstration in the Stadium," Rukia replied, taking a small sip of tea. "Tomorrow I'll be doing Kido demonstrations. You're still talking history though."

"I guess it can't be helped…" Ichigo grunted, as he took a sip of water. "So for that Zanjutsu demo, what am I doing? It's not like I can spar any of the kids…they'd pass out from just standing near me…"

"…if you were somewhat talented as a Shinigami," Rukia snickered. "Maybe you could control your output better…and also seal Zangetsu too."

"Yea whatever, I'm working on it…" Ichigo spoke with his trademark scowl. "So how am I demonstrating Zanjutsu combat exactly?"

"The Kido Corps is sealing off the Stadium at the back of the Academy…" Rukia spoke with a small smirk on her lips. "So that you and your sparring partner's reiatsu -"

Before Rukia could finish her sentence, there was an approach of a familiar, menacing reiatsu. When the owner of the reiatsu signature appeared at the front gates, the students sitting near the gate had collapsed on the ground almost immediately, struggling to breathe. Most of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students had already passed out. The reiatsu belonged to a giant of a man; his ripped shihakusho and white haori floating lazily with the breeze. The figure reached into his shihakusho and pulled out several bands, which he wrapped around his arms and neck. As the figure approached Ichigo, his gruff voice ripped through the silence.

"Damn runts…I forgot these kids were still learning how to breathe…" the man spoke irritatingly. He looked up to the shocked Captain. "Yo, Ichigo! You ready for our spar?"

"...huh? Kenpachi?" Ichigo said, staring blankly at the newcomer. "What do you mean? I have to do Zanjutsu demonstration with the…"

Sudden realization dawned on him. If the mostly secretive Kido Corps were here in force to erect barriers so the students could watch meant only one thing.

"Theres no way in HELL -,"

"Bakudo No. 61, Rikujokoro!*" the caster cut off Ichigo before he could completely shunpo away, followed by another spell. "Bakudo No. 63, Sajo Sabaku!**"

"What, the, HELL RUKIA?" Ichigo yelled as he struggled with the two kido spells. "I'm not fighting Kenpachi! I don't feel like nearly DYING!"

"Can't be helped, Ichigo…" Rukia trailed off, as she returned to finishing the food on her plate. "No other captains are willing or free during this time, and honestly Kenpachi is the only one who was willing to help…

"Besides, he had assured me that you'll be able to continue with the history presentations without crutches," Rukia gave an evil smirk, draining her tea. "You've slacked off in training too recently, so it's a win-win!"

"You, evil, midget-monster...whatever, fine…" Ichigo mumbled as he looked to a grinning Kenpachi. "Considering we fought earlier in the year, I'm giving you a gift! That means you can't chase me around next year damn it!"

"Ichi is a meanie!" a young teenaged woman stepped sideways, revealing herself from her hiding place that was Kenpachi. The teenaged girl's height reached Kenpachi's shoulder, her long pink hair reaching past the mid-section of her shihakusho. She approached Ichigo, who was forcibly held down by two Bakudo spells. "Ken-chan was helping Rukia-chan so Ichi can give a fun fight for the kids!"

Ichigo only grumbled as a response as he was helped up by Rukia and the young woman. Rukia could only smile at her as she undid Ichigo's restraints.

"Hello there, Lieutenant Kusajishi!" Rukia spoke happily. "Thanks for coming with Captain Zaraki!"

"No, it's alright Ruki-chan!" she spoke happily. "Ken-chan likes to have fun, and he's been really bored trying to play with the new guys in the 11th…"

"If only his "fun" wasn't so murderous…" Ichigo grumbled as he returned to his seat.

As lunch ended, everyone started to make their way into the stadium, with a certain orange-haired being dragged by his haori. There was a yellow shield that enveloped the seating area, with a Kido Corps member standing by every few meters apart from one another. As the student filled the seats, Ichigo had been tossed to the center of the stadium. Kenpachi grinned evilly as he drew his Zanpakuto, and slashed at the Bakudo spells that were in use. Finally free, Ichigo stood up as he dusted himself off, Zangetsu firmly placed on his back.

"Yachiru, stand back," Kenpachi spoke gruffly, as he removed the additional reiatsu sealers he put on earlier. Kenpachi dashed towards Ichigo, his Zanpakuto raised above his head. "I'm going to have so much fun! ICHIGO!"

"Wa-, wa-, wa-, WAIT A SECOND KENPACHI!" Ichigo yelled as he shunpo-ed out of the way of the slash. "God damn it, Getsuga Tensho!"

As Ichigo swung his clever-like Zanpakuto, a surge of blue-white reiatsu surged ahead towards Kenpachi in a crescent shape. As the wave of energy was charging through the air, parts of the stadium ground were breaking from the aftershock. As Kenpachi was pulling his sword out of the ground, he used his hands in attempt to deflect the Getsuga Tensho. Ichigo's attack was trying to surge past Kenpachi's hand, but he had managed to push the attack to its side. His palm started to drip small amounts of blood on the ground.

"That it Ichigo?" Kenpachi shouted, as he charged to his target. "Your attacks were better than that!"

"That's because you didn't let me be ready damn it!" Ichigo shouted as he swung his blade horizontally. His cleaver met with the ragged-edge of Kenpachi's sword. Ichigo tilted his blade slightly, forcing Kenpachi's blade to slide just enough for him to slash diagonally, injuring Kenpachi's chest. As the blood spilt, Kenpachi laughed maniacally and slashed downward, catching the side of Ichigo's arm and thigh. As his arm was getting cut up, Ichigo shunpo-ed away to avoid further damage.

"Come on Ichigo! Fight with your Bankai Already!" Kenpachi yelled as he charged forward again. He began to swing his sword like a madman, cutting and getting cut by Ichigo in the process. The crowd was chanting the words Bankai, egging the 14th Division Captain to go to his second release.

"Tch, can't be helped then." Ichigo says as he dashes back. He holds the cleaver parallel to the ground with his right hand. He grabs his right forearm with his left hand, as blue-white reiatsu started to envelope him. "Ban-kai!"

The reiatsu started to pour out; its ferocity was felt by the students that were inside the barrier that the Kido Corps had setup earlier. The immense pressure from Ichigo's surging reiatsu started to create small fissures on the barrier; the majority of the students were kneeling on the ground, having difficult time breathing. The Kido Corps had moved to their positions, albeit difficultly, and started to mend the barrier. As the Corps was strengthening the barrier, the blue-white reiatsu had turned its color to a black reiatsu with what seemed like a crimson red outline. After several seconds of intense surges of reiatsu, the pressure from the reiatsu stopped to be replaced with a shockwave. The shockwave pushed the dirt and debris in all directions, bouncing off the barrier.

As the debris and dirt began to settle, there were two figures standing in the center of the stadium. One of the figures was of a taller, bulkier man. He was holding his long Zanpakuto with one hand, the back of the blade leaning lazily against his shoulder. His already roughed up haori and shihakusho were further dirtied by the drying blood from his wounds. The man had a very nasty grin on his face, as if he was happy at the sight in front of him.

The other figure stood, his long black daito blade held parallel to the ground with his right hand. The blade had three mini-spikes protruding towards the end of blade went back to the spiky hand-guard of the blade. At the end of the hilt was a long chain that almost reached the ground. The handle was gripped by the black-gloved hands, garnished with white straps that were wrapped in an X-pattern. The bottom of the shihakusho remained on, but was covered by the ripped trench coat that replaced the top. The trench coat was fastened by 3 X-pattern straps, hiding a simple white undershirt.

"Tensa Zangetsu," Ichigo spoke. Without warning, Ichigo disappeared and reappeared quickly with the brilliant use of shunpo and the nature of his bankai: he was moving so fast that his shunpo had created clones of himself. Kenpachi raised his Zanpakuto and swung it down hard at one of the images. As Kenpachi was in mid-swing, Ichigo appeared to his left, black reiatsu engulfing his blade. "Getsuga…Tensho!"

*Way of Binding Number 61, Six-Staff Light Prison  
**Way of Binding Number 63, Chainlink Chain Bonds

_Next time, on The 14__th__ Division,_

_ "What's the matter Ichigo?" Kenpachi yelled while he was dodging the fast stabs coming from Ichigo. "I know you have _that _form! I want you in that form!"_

_ "Damn it Kenpachi!" Ichigo yelled as he stopped his thrusts. He jumped in to the air and swung his sword down. "You know I hate _that _form! I'm not going to risk wiping -"_

_ "You talk too much!" Kenpachi yelled as he held his sword horizontally, blocking Ichigo's sword. Using his free left hand, Kenpachi grabbed a handful of Ichigo's trench coat and threw him on the ground. "I might kill you if you don't!" _


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: Directly to Part 2 of the Battle! Since I didn't have a prologue for this story, I figured there wasn't a point in me going "_Chapter 3, Chapter4_" nonsense, so I'm not doing it.

Like I mentioned in Chapter 3, this is the second part of the fight scene. Figured it'd be better to divide it into chunks, rather than have a 3k+ word, single chapter.

I think I mentioned a Kenpachi/(Who?) pairing on this chapter…so here goes!

* * *

_Previously, on The 14__th__ Division_

_ "Tensa Zangetsu," Ichigo spoke. Without warning, Ichigo disappeared and reappeared quickly with the brilliant use of shunpo and the nature of his bankai: he was moving so fast that his shunpo had created clones of himself. Kenpachi raised his Zanpakuto and swung it down hard at one of the images. As Kenpachi was in mid-swing, Ichigo appeared to his left, black reiatsu engulfing his blade. "Getsuga…Tensho!"_

* * *

The wave of black reiatsu surged from Ichigo's blade to Kenpachi in a crescent shape. Kenpachi traised his left hand out of instinct, attempting to palm away the energy surge. Once the crescent-shaped attack came in contact with him, the force of the impact pushed Kenpachi back away from Ichigo. As Kenpachi was being pushed away, he managed to swing his sword upwards, knocking the attack into the sky.

"That's what I'm talking about, Ichigo!" Kenpachi shouted, his left hand bloody and charred from the attack. He slammed the point of his sword to the ground, and reached up to the eye patch. "Now I can go all out!"

As soon as Kenpachi ripped off his eye patch, a column of golden reiatsu shot up in the air, engulfing a quarter of the stadium. As his reiatsu filled a part of the stadium, Kenpachi laughed maniacally as he reached for his sword. Grabbing the cloth-wrapped handle, he wrenched the sword free from the ground.

Ichigo noticed something different with the sword. The usually damaged, rough blade had seemed to repair itself. Whats more, the hand guard of the sword grew a slight ring in its center. The handle itself changed as well, adorning a skull in the bottom of the grip. Ichigo's eyes widened as he saw the changing blade in front of him. Noticing this, Kenpachi laughed.

"What's the matter, Ichigo?" Kenpachi shouted in evil joy.

Kenpachi disappeared and reappeared in front of Ichigo, swinging his sword down. As Ichigo tried to block the swing, a wave of gold reiatsu engulfed the cutting edge of Kenpachi's sword. Ichigo angled his blade so that the blade slipped down to the ground, and shunpo-ed away from his opponent, slight shock written on his face.

"Kenpachi…was that shunpo?" Ichigo shouted. "What the hell? First your blade, now you shunpo?"

"Less time chasing you down!" Kenpachi cackled. "I'd rather fight you then chase you!"

Recovering from the initial shock of the "new" Kenpachi before him, Ichigo held his sword horizontally across his chest. Black reiatsu surged around the blade before dashing towards Kenpachi with incredible speed. When the blade connected with Kenpachi's, a wave of gold and black reiatsu started to intertwine with one another. Ichigo was attacking furiously, making Kenpachi take small steps back. The black reiatsu left slight scorch marks on Kenpachi's open chest and clothing, but wasn't doing much damage. Mid-swing, Kenpachi parried one of Ichigo's attacks, enabling him to grab Ichigo's face, shoving it down to the ground. Immediately, Kenpachi swung his sword down.

"What's this Ichigo?" Kenpachi yelled, as he struck the ground continuously. "I thought your Bankai was one of the fastest! Don't tell me that learning shunpo made you a lot-"

"Getsuga Tensho!" a distorted voice yelled from high above. When Kenpachi looked up, he flared his reiatsu to cut through the black crescent attack. When the attack cleared, Ichigo was back on the ground, sporting a hollow mask in front of his face. The hollow mask had two red lines streaking down, disconnected only by the holes for the eyes. Other than the mask, Ichigo's hair had grown out, the hair reaching his waist.

"You trying to kill me?" Ichigo complained, pointing his sword out at Kenpachi. "What the hell Kenpachi?"

"I'm disappointed Ichigo!" Kenpachi shouted back. "We all know you have _that _form! I want to go all out on _that _form!"

"Damn it Kenpachi!" Ichigo yelled. "Fine, but don't regret it!" Ichigo placed his left hand on top of his chest.

"Resurrection," Ichigo spoke darkly. As reiatsu gathered in the center of the chest, Ichigo grabbed it and pulled it away from his body forcibly, leaving a hole in its wake. The black reiatsu enveloped his body, forming a second skin. Parts of the reiatsu surrounded Ichigo's head, forming a complete mask with two horns. Ichigo's pale skin turned white, his gloved hands and shoes turned into claws. There was red covering the neck and wrist areas.

Ichigo pointed a finger towards Kenpachi, a red sphere of energy growing at the top. Without warning, the sphere created a red energy beam, charging straight for Kenpachi. Kenpachi flared his reiatsu again, and managed to cut the red beam in half, hitting the stadium walls with great impact. Kenpachi charged straight towards the hollow form with great speed once more, swinging his sword horizontally. The hollow Ichigo blocked the sword swing with his forearm, the sword barely leaving a scratch. Pushing the sword back, Ichigo swung his blade downwards, leaving a deep vertical cut on Kenpachi's chest. Ichigo then used his massive foot to kick Kenpachi away from him.

"That Hierro…not too shabby Ichigo!" Kenpachi grunted as he stood up. He grabbed both his hands on the sword grip. "Much tougher then that retarded Espada 100 or so years ago!"

"Damn it Kenpachi…" Ichigo said in his distorted voice. "I hate this form…"

"Tch, fine then, I was going to end this with one swing anyway!" Kenpachi yelled, as he tightened both his hands on his sword. "Let's see if I can cut you in that form, Ichigo!"

A column of gold and black reiatsu formed, shooting straight up from the stadium to the skies. A form of a skull emerged from the golden reiatsu formed, roaring towards the opponent. As Ichigo's sword was covered with the energy of Getsuga Tensho, he kicked off the ground, flying straight to Kenpachi, who was waiting for him with a wide grin. Both Ichigo and Kenpachi swung their swords at each other, causing their reiatsu to cover the battlefield. Dust and debris kicked up again, hitting the walls of the barrier with more intensity then it had before. The Kido Corps were struggling to keep the barrier standing. Small fissures became big cracks against the barrier.

With the flaring reiatsu dissipating and debris settling, one figure was standing, the other kneeling. With the battle finally concluded, the barriers were dropped, allowing the two Lieutenants to jump forward towards the center. When Rukia and Yachiru reached the center, Ichigo's hollow form was just starting to crack. The mask cracked first, revealing a completely white-skinned Ichigo. As the hollow form started to crack and dissipate, the reiatsu from the bones and mask formed around the small hole in Ichigo's chest, resealing it. As the hole sealed itself, Ichigo shed the red ruffles and long orange hair, returning himself back to his original form. His Bankai form dissipated as well, as his daito blade became the large cleaver like before. Ichigo spiked the cleaver onto the ground, walking towards the kneeling Kenpachi.

"Oi, Kenpachi, you alright?" Ichigo asked weakly.

"Tch…that's not nearly enough to kill me, Ichigo," Kenpachi looked up, a huge grin on his face. "This is why I love to fight you! You're the only one that gives me this adrenaline rush!"

"Just…not until _after _the celebration please…" Ichigo spoke as he sat near Kenpachi. "I'd like to be _alive_ for my own division's party."

"Ken-chan!" a high squeaky voice interrupted the conversation. A pink-haired teenager jumped next to Kenpachi, helping him lay down comfortably. "Ken-chan, you enjoyed your fight!"

As the pair began to speak to each other, Rukia stood next to Ichigo, mix of worry and relief on her face.

"Ichigo, you alright?" Rukia asked, as she kneeled. "Can't believe you had to go into _that _form…"

"Can't be helped," Ichigo scowled, as he supported himself with his arms. "Something was up with Kenpachi…"

"Medical teams 1 and 2, assist Captain Zaraki and Kurosaki," a female voice rang. With confirming 'Yes ma'am,' the medical units erected barriers around the two Captains and their Lieutenants. The four looked to see who had given the order, revealing another Shinigami with a haori. She wore her Zanpakuto with a string.

"My, my, Captain Zaraki, Kurosaki," the Captain spoke simply. "Seems that I'll need to make a wing just for the two of you in the 4th Division Barracks."

"Captain Unohana, thank you for your time," Rukia spoke as she stood up to bow to the Captain. "You must be extremely busy."

"My, my, Rukia, no need to be so formal," Unohana spoke, a small smile on her face. "I don't mind at all. Your organizational prowess is amazing. Not many of the Academy students fainted thanks to the Kido Corps. 4th Seat Yamada, please attend to Captain Kurosaki."

"Yes ma'am," a small man responded, and entered the barrier. He placed a mat on the ground and motioned Ichigo to lie down. "Hey Captain Kurosaki! Been a long time!"

"Hanataro!" Ichigo spoke. "I told you to call me Ichigo, damn it! We've known each other since I was saving Rukia, we're friends."

"Sorry, sorry!" Hanataro cried, as he pulled his medical bag to the side. Without another word the treatment began. As Rukia, Ichigo, and Hanataro were talking with each other, a different kind of conversation was happening.

"Oh dear…you've gotten yourself hurt again Kenpachi," Unohana spoke a she kneeled down. Her gloved hands took off the ripped haori and the shihakusho. "Are you okay?"

"Tch, course I am…" Kenpachi trailed off. "I told you not to worry, woman!"

"My, my, such an aggressive tone…" Unohana spoke. The air surrounding the two suddenly became heavy and menacing. Unohana had a wider, kinder smile. "I'd refrain from calling me that, especially when I'm healing you…"

"…tch, fine, fine!" Kenpachi grumbled. Kenpachi, arguably one of the strongest Captains in the 14 Division couldn't argue with the 4th Division Captain.

"Retsu-chan!" Yachiru squealed as she gave a hug to the 4th Division Captain. "When are you visiting us again? Ken-chan and I miss you!"

"Oh my, hello Yachiru-kun," Unohana smiled as she gave a small hug back. She released the hug and got to work right away. "After I heal him, let's have dinner okay?"

"Yay!" Yachiru jumped around the barrier, much to Kenpachi's annoyance.

_**Two Days Later**_

"I hope you all enjoyed the Zanjutsu demonstration provided by Captain Kurosaki and Captain Zaraki!" the head instructor exclaimed. Claps and cheers rang through the huge amphitheater. As the cheers died down, Ichigo stepped forward.

"Where the hell did I leave off…," Ichigo mumbled as he scratched the back of his head. "Right, I think I just confirmed the Captain-Commander's offer to become a Captain…so after I accepted…"

* * *

_Next time, on The 14__th__ Division_

_ "I have to do what?" Ichigo yelled. "I didn't even graduate High School, you expect me to start all over?"_

_ "Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya spoke, an air of indifference in his voice. "You do not know the cultures or the ways of Soul Society, and Seireitei. Your Kido control is horrendous. You are going to the Academy as a captain and instructor, while learning our culture."_

_ "Damn it, what the hell…" Ichigo mumbled. He felt a large hand on his shoulder, which made him turn his head. "Koyraku-san?"_

_ "No need to be so formal anymore Ichigo-kun," Shunsui spoke. "Besides, a Captain needs to be a teacher as well as being a student, since the Captain of a division has to oversee training for their subordinates."_


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I am SO SORRY FOR THE LACK OF UPDATES! Good news is that I am a 4th Degree Master in Kendo (something that Ichigo will eventually go through with Kenpachi…mwe he he he). Bouncing training and work, I didn't have time to write for this.

To be honest, I lost my drafts and plans for my actual Chapter 5, and am in the process of re-writing the _actual _Chapters 5~8…then I realized I haven't released anything in a long time, so here it is…4 chapters of Ichigo's last days in Karakura Town instead!

To also satisfy the various PM's I got, here's the MEGA Prelude Chapter series!

I would always thank those that give me reviews, _**BUT I HAVE TO THANK ALL THOSE THAT ARE FOLLOWING ME, THE STORY, AND THOSE THAT HAVE PUT THIS STORY INTO COMMUNITIES! THANK YOU!**_

_****_Also, the 4 Prelude Chapters won't have "Previously/Next time, on 14th Division." Take this as a "filler" thing.

Onwards, Captain Kurosaki!

* * *

_Chapter 5, Day 1 of 4_

_**Flashback, Approximately 100 Years Ago**_

"Good choice, Kurosaki Ichigo," the bearded old man spoke in his gruff voice. "Do you have any questions before you depart for the Living World?"

"Yea…just one Captain-Commander," Ichigo spoke with his trademark scowl. "What division am I being a Captain of anyway? I mean, all 13 Divisions have their Captains now…"

"That detail will be refrained from you at the current time," the Captain-Commander said. "We will let you know when the ceremony is finished. The Captain Appointment Ceremony will be delayed for 4 days. In that time, do what you have to do in the Living World."

"Ah…yes, okay." Ichigo spoke. With the sound of the cane hitting the wooden floor, the meeting was adjourned. _Crap,_ Ichigo thought. _I completely forgot about my family back home, not to mention everyone else…how the hell am I going to break this to them?_ Ichigo contemplated that and more as he blankly walked out of the meeting hall, exiting the 1st Division Barracks to the Senkaimon, which had already been opened. His trip through the Precipice World was accompanied by Kuchiki Rukia.

_Some time later, Kurosaki Residence, Day 1 of 4_

Dinner had been uneventful; Yuzu prepared the usual meal, Isshin was beat up by his son Ichigo, and Karin sat there nonchalantly. Only thing that was different (but not too different) was a fifth member, the "third daughter" Kuchiki Rukia. The family ate in an uncomfortable silence; even the father, Isshin, wasn't playing up his silly antics with his son. Only saying a brief word of thanks, Ichigo stood from the table and excused himself to his room. Yuzu shared an uncomfortable look with Karin while neither Rukia nor Isshin raised their gaze. Soon, the twins excused themselves from the table, leaving Isshin and Rukia alone. After what seemed like an hour, Isshin broke the silence first.

"So, Rukia-chan," Isshin spoke in a serious tone. "What was Ichigo's decision?"

"Ichigo has 4 days to conclude any business he has in the Living World," Rukia replied. "At the end of the 4 days, he is to move into Soul Society and attend the Captain's Ceremony."

"Well then, I'll just have to pass on the responsibility to you!" Isshin exclaimed, the playfulness returning. Rukia blinked. "I hope you fix up my lazy, good-for-nothing son, my third daughter!"

With that Isshin left the table, exclaiming random things in the direction of a poster. Rukia sighed before putting her dishes into the sink, cleaning the grim off the plate before placing it inside the dishwasher. With the short task completed, Rukia had walked up the stairs and stopped at the door with the number "15" hanging from a nail. Rukia's hands paused on the door know; there was music being played. She had listened to the small radio in Ichigo's room before; the sound quality was way too good to come from that device. Rukia silently turned the door knob to see what the source of this new music she heard was. As she opened the door, she saw Ichigo, with a wooden instrument, similar to that of the Shamisen* she learned to play under the Kuchiki household. This instrument was a lot bigger than the instrument she was familiar with, and was also played in a different way.

Not noticing the soft click of the door lock, Ichigo had continued to play on his guitar. Ichigo missed playing; it had been a gift from his father a few months after his mother's death. It was not until he met Chad in Middle School that he learned how to play various musical styles on the guitar. His humming and fingers strummed to the one song that was on his mind: Blackbird by the Beatles. He didn't know why this song suddenly popped into his mind, but he played it. Playing this instrument gave way to a rare and small smile; a genuine smile that Ichigo only reserved for his sisters.

Rukia was surprised by what she saw and heard. The simple harmonies that came out of the guitar was pleasing to the ear, and Ichigo's voice mixed with the timbre** of the guitar very fluidly. Unlike the Shamisen, this instrument had 6 strings stretched out on what seemed like a fingerboard, passing over a small hole in the main body. The fingerboard had a beautiful, flowery pattern inlayed into it. The bottom right corner seemed to have a slight dipping curve, as if to make the higher notes easily accessible. What she was most amazed by though, was the serene look with a gentle smile. Rukia had seen this smile only once, and it was because he was with his family. The image and sensations made her heart skip and felt her cheeks get warmer. It was then Ichigo decided to look up from the propped-up folder on his pillow towards the door.

"Oi, Rukia," Ichigo's gentle smile didn't fade. "How long were you standing there?"

"Not long," Rukia willed her flushed cheeks back to its original hue. "Say, what is that, Ichigo, looks similar to a Shamisen…"

"A what now?" Ichigo's scowl returned as he tried to recall any instrument called a Shamisen. "Dunno what a Shamisen is, but this is called a guitar."

"Didn't know strawberries knew how to play instruments," Rukia teased, relieved that some normalcy returned with Ichigo's scowl. She pulled the desk chair and sat across from the teen.

"'Tch, at least this strawberry isn't so vertically challenged…" Ichigo trailed off. He didn't finish the thought when a light pain erupted from his right shoulder. "Ow, damn it! What the hell, Rukia?"

"That's for calling me short!" Rukia smirked triumphantly. Her triumphant smirk turned to a small, gentle smile when she asked, "Can you play other songs? I wouldn't mind hearing that one again, either…"

Ichigo gave a blank expression, until he processed what he was asked to do. For some reason, his cheeks started to redden slightly, similar to how Rukia was before. Ichigo turned away to flip through his binder. The songs that he passed were either too difficult or something that he wasn't confident in: if she wanted a show or something, might as well do a good job on it.

"I think this is called _Romance de Amor_***, or something like that…" Ichigo spoke as he strummed the guitar, twisting a knob at the end of the fingerboard. "Chad showed me this a long time ago…"

Ichigo placed his left hand on the neck of the guitar, and his right hand over the hole on the main body. The right finger danced around the strings, plucking at them in a set pattern. The tones began to change as the left hand started to glide around the neck of the guitar. Rukia leaned her head against her right arm, which was on Ichigo's relatively clean desk. She allowed the music to put her in a trance, closing her eyes. As the melody went from a somber to a lighter mood and back to somber again, she felt that she was sharing the expression of the music. By the end of the song, Rukia was left speechless, her mouth slightly agape.

"What, am I just that awesome? Speechless?" Ichigo sported a cocky grin, which was swiftly met with a knuckle on the top of his head. "Ow, what the hell…"

"Don't be so full of yourself, Ichigo," Rukia smirked, breaking away from her trance. "When did you learn to play, and how come you haven't played before?"

"Well, the past 2 years or so I was either going to school, training, or fighting for Soul Society…" Ichigo trailed off for a moment. "As for when…it was a little while after my mom passed away when I was 9."

Kurosaki Masaki: a loving wife and mother, now deceased. Rukia didn't know much about Ichigo's late mother other than that she was loved by the entire family. Rukia's first time learning about the deceased mother was when Ichigo took a day off from school to take a trip with his family to the graveyard, where his mother was buried. As Rukia looked up, she saw a depressed man in front of her. The thought of Masaki had turned the teenager from the cocky and smiling teen to someone she hated to see. She had seen this sight before: when Renji, Captain Hitsugaya, Rangiku, Yumichika, Ikkaku, and she had been dispatched to the Living World. Renji held Ichigo while Rukia grabbed his spirit form, giving him a lecture. Rukia sighed as she pulled on the red gloves over her right hand.

"Ichigo, put the instrument down for a moment," Rukia commanded. When Ichigo surprisingly complied, she thrust her gloved hand forward, pushing Ichigo's soul from his body.

"What the hell you doing?" Ichigo exclaimed, rubbing his behind as he stood up. Rukia kicked him in the shin, making Ichigo dub over in pain. "Why you hitting me, damn it?"

Rukia didn't respond through words, but with her sword. As she charged the confused, and irritated Ichigo, he pulled his sword from his back, the bandages unwrapping itself to reveal a black sword, with a gleaming silver cutting blade. Both swords made contact, and the reiatsu released caused dust and debris to push away from them. Rukia pushed away from Ichigo, and both jumped into the air, floating above the streets of his home. Rukia held out her blade with her right hand, rotating it counter-clockwise.

"Mai, Sode no Shirayuki," Rukia stated, as the sword turned into a pure white from the tip to the hilt, a white ribbon flowing lazily with the air."

"Oi, oi, oi! Wait, wa-, wait a minute!" Ichigo stuttered as he gripped Zangetsu tighter, using the large cleaver as a shield. "What's gotten into you?"

"You told me that you can feel what others are thinking through your blade, Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, as she shunpo-ed toward him, her sword raised above her head. The two blades met with a loud clang sound. "Then tell me, what am I thinking right now?"

Initially, Ichigo's movements were very slow, barely fending off Rukia's Zanpakuto. Small nicks on his shihakusho and cuts on his skin were everywhere. Rukia was pissed off apparently, Ichigo figured that much. The question was why. Their travels had been quiet, dinner was "mostly" enjoyable, and his family knew of the truth thanks to Rukia. What was the point of this fight, what gave her the reason for her to fight him? That she was stronger? Had more experience? Had more resolve? _Wait…resolve_.

"The man I knew was someone who'd rush headfirst into anything. The Ichigo I knew was someone who was think-headed, jumps into danger without much thought…" Rukia trailed off. Ichigo's death glare cut her off. She cleared her throat and got to her main point. "You looked pitiful in your room; like that time when you realized your inner hollow was controlling you. So what if you decided to leave your human life? Wasn't your resolve to protect everyone? During our trip in the Dangai, you told me that you wanted to be trained formally as a Shinigami so that you can protect not only people in Karakura Town, but everyone else! Where did that resolve go, Ichigo?"

As she finished her sentence, Rukia lunged forward, Sode no Shirayuki drawn over her head, and sliced the air downwards towards Ichigo's head. Her strike had been blocked by the big cleaver, a huge amount of blue reiatsu blowing debris and air from the two Shinigami. As Rukia looked down, she saw the silver-blue eye tint that replaced his usual amber. A cocky grin was on his face, like the usual Ichigo would have.

"Damn it Rukia, you say too much you know that?" Ichigo smirked as he placed his sword on his back, the bandages reforming to cover the blade. Rukia punched Ichigo in the stomach, which made him dub over. "What the hell was that for Rukia?"

"That was for making me say something that pitiful _again_, Ichigo!" Rukia smirked, as she sheathed Sode no Shirayuki. The sword began to turn into its sealed state as the blade entered the scabbard. "If you make me do it a third time…Chappy will be involved."

* * *

*Shamisen: A 3 string Japanese traditional Guitar. Look up on Wikipedia for picture and more information

**Timbre: Timbre is a musical word that describes how a certain instrument sounds, or resonates.

***Romance de Amor: It's a popular guitar Spanish Guitar song that people learn when they pick up the guitar. www. youtube watch?v=kYNd7jMuw4c (just take away the spaces. This is the best example I found)


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Here's Chapter 6, Day 2 and Day 3!

I'm going Out-of-Character to get these chapters done. I've been so busy I'm screwed up in the head.. .

So close to Day 4, the actual celebration…?

I'd like to thank the people who listed my stories into their communities (Member of Seireitei: manager Ruby Tsuki and My Harry Potter Fanfiction and Plus…: by sweetygirly521), the 6 reviews, 15 people who listed the story as a favorite, and the 19 people who put this story on alert. Most of all, I'd also like to thank those who took the time to just read my story! I'd love to know who you are, so please leave a review!

I know my grammar isn't perfect, so I wouldn't mind a PM about couple rules that I may be forgetting either =]  
_  
_Getting to be more regular updates! Be proud of me!

Onwards, Captain Kurosaki!  
_

_Chapter 6: Day 2, Friends_

School had been dreary as always. The morning started alright enough: he cloth-lined Keigo and returned another borrowed game to Tatsuki. The morning classes of Math, Japanese, History, and Biology were pretty boring. Ochi-sensei was animated about the subjects enough to keep him and the rest of the class awake for the most part. As Ochi-sensei was droning on about some function in their blood, the lunch bell rang. As sighs of relief escaped the mouths of many students, Ichigo grabbed his lunch and walked to his usual destination: the roof. He was later joined there by Chad, Inoue, Ishida, and Rukia.

Lunch had been quiet for the most part. Inoue and Rukia were chatting about something that Ichigo wasn't particularly interested in. Chad had brought in a Mexican dish as usual. Inoue brought some weird concoction of peanut butter, lettuce, rice, eggs, and broccoli between two slices of bread. Ichigo unfolded the little towel that held two lunch boxes, giving one to Rukia. Ishida had the usual Onigiri lunch. The group sat quietly and enjoyed their meal in silence, until Ichigo choked on his rice.

"Are you alright, Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue asked, placing her sandwich concoction down.

"I-I'm alright," Ichigo managed to cough out. Once his coughing fit subsided, his trademark scowl returned. "There's something that I'd like to tell you guys."

Everyone had stopped eating, placing their food on their plastic plate. Only Rukia had grabbed her juice box to drink its contents. Ichigo was getting slightly uncomfortable at the sudden attention he received. Before he could speak, it was Ishida that spoke out.

"It's about your trip at Soul Society recently right?" Ishida asked. "I assume they asked of something from you…"

"Pretty much, but it's a bit complicated…" Ichigo scratched the back of his head. Receiving a 'just-get-it-over-with' face from Rukia, he sighed in irritation. "They asked me to move into Soul Society and become a full Shinigami."

The group went silent for a moment. Ichigo didn't know what their reactions would be; Ishida's as cold and calculating as they come, Chad usually doesn't outwardly show what he thinks, and Inoue tended to overreact. What he saw surprised him: all of them gave a small, understanding smile. Ichigo was baffled, considering that he didn't believe he'd get this type of reaction. Observing the confused look on Ichigo's face, it was Inoue who spoke first.

"Well…it's for the best isn't it, Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue asked. "I mean, you've finally been yourself since you got your powers back about a month ago…"

"That's right Ichigo, first time you seemed alive was when you were going through Fullbring training," Chad commented. "We figured something like this would happen eventually."

"That's right, Kurosaki," Ishida commented with a smirk. "You are so bad at controlling reiatsu, you are a beacon for hollows to come here. It'll get _peaceful_ around here."

"What the hell, Ishida? I'm just terrible at the stupid details…" Ichigo scoffed.

"It makes perfect sense for Ichigo to come to Soul Society," Rukia contributed. "Considering that he's technically dead, and his body is a glorified living Gigai."

Inoue and Ichigo gave a surprised look to Rukia. Ishida gave a knowing look, and Chad remained impassive. Seeing the look from the two, Rukia sighed and pulled out her infamous notepad and crayons. She started to draw human bodies with bunny heads, two of which were connected by gray rings. She drew a black line and drew two bunny figures again, one with a pair of X's for eyes, and the other in the black shihakusho, with a sword that looked similar to Zangetsu. All the bunnies had a scribble of orange on top of its head to represent Ichigo. Satisfied with her work, she flipped the drawing to show the group.

"A living human soul, when separated from the body is still connected through the Chain of Fate. This connection is severed _only _if the body has died, so if you sever the chain when the person is living, that person is effectively dead." Rukia paused. She saw the weird look on Ichigo's face. "What are you giving me that look for?"

"Did you _have_ to use the stupid drawings?" Ichigo scowled. "I mean, words are enough…your drawings are kinda bad…" Ichigo trailed off, but couldn't say what he wanted to say next because Rukia had tossed her plastic marker case towards his face. When Rukia saw the hit and the satisfying _thud_ sound made from the contact, she continued.

"The reason that Shinigami isn't allowed to transfer powers to a human is because we technically sever the chain when we transfer reiatsu to them. Since Shinigami aren't allowed to kill humans unless absolutely necessary, transferring powers to them are naturally illegal." Rukia pointed to the other drawing. "In Ichigo's case, the sword I used was a special reiatsu-amplifying sword that Urahara developed. Since Ichigo's reiatsu was a lot higher than any of the Captains, we all pumped our reiatsu's into the sword.

"With the rush of all the Captains and friends reiatsu, his Chain of Fate is severed again, and his soul body wouldn't have the ability to develop another chain." Rukia finished the long winded explanation. Ishida and Chad seemed to understand, it was Inoue that looked very confused. Sighing softly, it was Ishida who spoke.

"Our body and soul are connected by these chains, and for Kurosaki to become a Shinigami again, they needed to break it. It just means that he is a soul now, and not a human being." Ishida gave her the "sparknotes" version. Realization hitting her, Inoue gave a small smile, thanking Ishida for the explanation.

"We all knew this was coming Ichigo…we already know about the Chain of Fate…Urahara-san and Yoruichi-san explained to us already." Chad spoke.

"What the hell? I am always the last one to know the details damn it!" Ichigo exclaimed irritatingly. "Damn it, whatever…can't be helped…"

"When are you leaving, Kurosaki-kun?" Inoue asked.

"We have 2 more days before we leave, Inoue." Rukia answered as she put her notepad away. "He has to attend a cere-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the lunch-ending bell rang throughout the courtyard. The 5 immediately packed up their containers and headed downstairs. Chad, Inoue, and Ishida were first to leave, as Ichigo had to pack Rukia's lunchbox as well. When the last remnants of Inoue's long hair vanished from the doorway, Ichigo spoke softly.

"Don't tell them about being a Captain yet," Ichigo said simply.

"…Ah…" was Rukia's reply. Who was she to speak for him? It was his celebration, after all. The pair walked down the stairs and managed to get into their seats right before Ochi-sensei came back into the room. The rest of the day flew by and before they knew it, the school bell rang. As the students filed out of the room, Ichigo found himself walking to his locker, where he kept the few things he needed at school. Here, he took out all his books, notebooks, and a pair of running shoes and closed it. He threw it in a plastic bag that he had put into his school bag earlier that day. As he turned, a slightly nervous freshman approached him. He was wearing the school's kendo uniform. Before the kid could speak, Ichigo nodded and sent the freshman away. When he stepped outside, he was greeted by Rukia.

"Oi, Rukia, I have some business after school with the Kendo club." Ichigo said offhandedly as he started to walk into the Kendo dojo on the school grounds.

"I'll meet you inside, I have to talk with Captain Ukitake for a bit," Rukia replied, as she walked away and finding a secluded part of the school. As Ichigo ran towards the building, Rukia's Soul Pager went off. Finding a tree to sit under, Rukia picked up the phone.

"Hello Captain Ukitake," Rukia spoke in the Kuchiki fashion: professional and void of emotion.

"Hey, Lieutenant Kuchiki!" Ukitake's voice rang out cheerfully. "How is everything going in the Living World? Is Ichigo managing well enough?"

"Hai, his family and comrades have been informed." Rukia informed her Captain. "I was actually about to call you for the 2nd Day debrief, Captain. Has something changed?"

"It's not a major change…" Ukitake confirmed Rukia's suspicion. "…but we would like Ichigo to come before noon. He needs to be briefed and settled before actually promoting him to Captain."

Rukia and Ukitake spoke for another 10 to 15 minutes, the Captain of the 13th explaining what would happen once Ichigo arrived. Rukia received the details of what her task would be once they arrived in Soul Society through a "text" message. After confirming she had received her updated order, the Captain and Lieutenant hung up.

She walked towards the Kendo Dojo, and allowed herself in. As she maneuvered around the spectators, she saw that there was a match already in progress. She didn't see Ichigo anywhere, until the two combatants collided together. As they were circling around, Rukia caught a glimpse of the orange hair color. As the two people were separated by the head-judge, the tip of the two shinai's was touching. When the judge continued the match, it was over in an instant. Ichigo had used his training from the past 2~3 years to work; his body had moved and his Shinai had contacted his opponent's head before his opponent had time to register the strike. The two returned to their original positions and "sheathed" their shinai's, getting a loud cheer from his high school team.

As Ichigo took off his helmet, a single sweat bead rolled down his cheeks and around the smirk that he had on his face. It was the same smile that she remembered back when she was about to be executed on Sokyoku Hill. It was the smirk that she took comfort in and seeing it on his face again gave her a sense of security. She also felt comfortable when she used to be on top of his back, or whenever she was near him. As her mind began to wonder, she felt heat slowly rising into her cheeks and stopped her train of thought. _Why was the thought of Ichigo making her blush?_ As she managed to control her fleeting emotions, Rukia looked onto the scoreboard, noticing that Ichigo's match was a tie breaker match.

Later on, Ichigo and Rukia walked towards the direction of the Clinic. Ichigo was satisfied; the kendo match was probably the easiest 8000 Yen* he had made in his life. A satisfied and cocky grin on his face, Ichigo was thinking what he would do with all the money that he'd saved up since starting his "business" about two years ago. His grin waned into a grimace when he remembered what would happen two days from now. Noticing the change, Rukia broke the silence.

"Ichigo, what's that look for? Weren't you smirking just moments ago?" Rukia asked.

"Yea…don't worry about it, it's nothing," Ichigo mumbled as he put one of his hands in his pocket. His fingers rolled the crisp Yen bills. "Just realized that the money I made here won't work in Soul Society…"

"You have money in Soul Society…" Rukia said. At the confused look, Rukia explained further. "When you kill a hollow in Soul Society, you get a bounty. The stronger the hollow, the higher the bounty goes."

"Damn it…never knew about that. How much do I have?" Ichigo wondered. He never got his answer as the two arrived at Ichigo's home. Ichigo went for the gate, but something was odd: none of the lights in the house or the clinic were on. Anxious and curious, Ichigo and Rukia entered the Kurosaki home. Ichigo yelled out for his sisters and even his annoying father, but none responded. Walking up the stairs, carefully knocked and entered his sisters' and father's rooms. He entered his room and quickly used the Substitute Shinigami badge, placing his lifeless body on the bed as he walked out to the living room. A crash was heard outside his front lawn, and Ichigo ran outside.

What he saw was gruesome to say the least. It was a message written in blood. Rukia stared at the message with her lips slightly parted. The message read:

_No one is home…and you're next…_

At the first message, Rukia pulled out her bunny gikon-container. Popping the green pill to her mouth, Rukia was separated from her gigai. As the blood dripped down, another message began to show. The message read:

_If you don't want anyone else to leave…come to Urahara's Shop…_

With that, the two silently disappeared with their use of shunpo. As the two Shinigami rushed towards the small candy store, the blood dripped once again, revealing the third message.

_Just kidding! Just come to the shop for a pleasant surprise! If you thought this was some sort of threat, you have no sense of humor Kurosaki-san! _ d^.^b _Urahara Kisuke _

Ichigo and Rukia arrived in front of the store. The store's sliding door was left ajar, and the hidden mat to the underground training facility was left open. Wasting no time, the two rushed down the tunnel. As the two finally left the confines of the connecting tunnel, they saw the sunny mountainous lands below them. Ichigo and Rukia landed on the ground, their Zanpakuto's drawn and ready to fend off any attack. As they heard rustling from their back, Ichigo began to turn, grabbing the grip with both his hands, until familiar faces jumped up at him, throwing confetti.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled, throwing confetti and blowing those party whistles. Ichigo had a dumbfound look on his face, a sweat dropping from his forehead.

"Wha-what the hell?" Ichig stumbled on his words, as Chad came up to him and slapped on a party hat. Rukia laughed at the encounter. "What the hell you laughing at, midget? We could've hurt them, da-"

"Quiet down, Ichigo," Rukia said between laughs. She didn't fail to elbow him in the gut at the word 'midget.' "All of your friends knew, and decided to throw this party for you."

"That's right, you ungrateful son of mine!" A man yelled as he flew across the air, both legs extended out and aimed at Ichigo's head. Ichigo's body reacted instantly and avoided the kick. As his father flew past, Ichigo grabbed one of the ankles, and flipped his dad to a different direction, landing face first.

"What the hell…a party?" Ichigo scratched his head, as he placed Zangetsu on his back. The bandages wrapped around its blade as it hung to the red cord. "I don't really do parties…"

"Oh lighten up, Kurosaki-san!" Urahara said in his unusually-cheerful voice. "They prepared everything for you, even your dear family!"

As Kisuke stepped aside, a group of familiar faces walked closer to them. His closest friends from school were there. Keigo, Mizuiro, Chizuru, Tatsuki, Chad, Inoue, and Ishida were there. There were people not from school there too; the Bount detectors Ririn, Nova, and Cloud were standing in their gigais.

It was a known fact that Ichigo attended parties, but refused to have one sincehe was 9. Today, Ichigo had little choice but to partake in this improvised party. He didn't mind it though; it was as much a party for him as it was for them. Ichigo would miss his friends once he permanently moved into Soul Society, so having a celebration of sorts wasn't completely against his "image."

*8000 Yen is about $102.00


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Back to our regular scheduled program. Thank you all for being patient! Now that I got everything running on a good schedule…let the program commence. Of course, this chapter is delayed by about a week as I say that… .

I know there's a lot of readers for this fanfic, for that I am truly thankful! This is the first time attempting a First Person P.O.V., so I was apprehensive on posting it. However, I thought that the more I work on other styles of writing, the better writer that I will become.

Not proud of this chapter, as it's my first attempt at Ichi/Ruki and POV. Ichi/Ruki fanfic author Gods and Goddesses! Bless/Criticize me with your vast knowledge and superior skills! (Meaning, Please leave a Review ;-))

With that, Onwards, Captain Kurosaki!

* * *

_Chapter 7: Day 3, Unfinished Business_

_Rukia's P.O.V.:_

_ Ugh…_I grumbled as a headache served as my wake up call. The last time I had a headache from drinking was during my Lieutenant Inauguration party. As I rememberd the party a small smile escaped my lips. The Shinigami Women's Association, the 13th Division, and even Nii-sama had prepared an inauguration party for me. The event started formal enough; I received my notice of my promotion from the other Lieutenants and Captain Ukitake had presented me with the Lieutenant's Badge. The after party, now _that _was ridiculous. Rangiku was always the drinker in the group, but I never thought Nii-sama would drink with us! _Though, Nii-sama did mention that it is a noble's duty to partake in celebrations like these, especially if a family member was promoted to a high position within the 13 Court Guard Squads_. Nii-sama was truly the embodiment of mannerisms and nobility. What really made that night was the special, ginormous-sized Chappy doll I got as a gift. I squeezed my arms together at the thought of the giant Chappy doll in my room. When I noticed I was actually hugging something large, and _warm._

Once my eyes adjusted to the morning sun, I realized I wasn't hugging something, but _someone._ I was shocked that I would be lying on top of someone, _was I that drunk…?_ As I start to look up, I was greeted by a pair of sleepy amber eyes, orange hair, and a slight frown.

"What the…" the orange-haired teen began to speak as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. When his eyes connected with mine, his cheeks turned a bright shade of red. "Ru-Rukia! What the hell you doing on my bed?"

_Ichigo's P.O.V.:_

_"Ichigo…" a female voice rang out in the darkness. The voice belonged to a petite woman, with her short raven-black hair and amethyst eyes. Her porcelain skin was lighted by the full moon up in the sky. As she walked closer to me, my cheeks began to heat up. The woman was very close to me, and I realized that her cheeks were as flushed as mine. Suddenly, her hands start moving and I raise my arms in reaction: I will _not _get hit for any reason tonight. What shocked me the most was that the woman didn't elbow me in the gut or any bodily harm, instead she hugged me. _

_ "Ru-Rukia…" my voice trailed off. I looked down at her, her amethyst eyes meeting with mine. _

_ "Shut up and hug me back already, strawberry," Rukia half-told, half-ordered me. Though I was still trying to process what was going on, my arms seem to have a mind of their own as they wrapped around her small frame. Rukia buried her face into my chest as she squeezed me hard, not wanting to let go. My mind was blank, but my body was moving on its own. I pulled away slightly, gently placing my fingers under her chin and lifting her head. Her eyes met mine, and I bent down. First our hair and forehead made contact. Then, our noses brushed into each other as we both started to close our eyes…_

_ God damn it…_I grumbled as I woke from my sleep. _Just what the hell was that dream about, _I thought as I tried to recollect all parts of the dream. I've had these types of dreams before; hugging, cuddling, and doing…things with women. The main problem was that in most of my dreams, I couldn't see the girl's face. This dream though was different, since I saw the face of the girl, and it was _Rukia's _for god sake. Before I could think about it too long, I felt something squeeze me hard. When I opened my eyes, I saw the same raven colored hair on top of my chest.

"What the…" I rubbed my eyes, making sure I wasn't seeing things. Was Rukia on top of me, hugging me? When I re-opened my eyes, I saw her on top of me, hugging my bare chest underneath the sheets. I felt my cheeks flush as I said. "Ru-Rukia! What the hell you doing on my bed?"

_Third Person P.O.V._

Both Ichigo and Rukia froze; neither had expected the other to be this close, this _intimate_. Rukia was the first to recover and pushed herself off of the blushing man. Ichigo recovered later, pushing himself off the bed, sitting on the edge. Ichigo's red cheeks grew even redder when he saw that Rukia was wearing his shirt as a night gown, without any sort of pajama pants. Rukia had a similar reaction as well when she realized Ichigo was shirtless, his well-defined muscles grabbing her attention. Sudden realization dawned on the both of them: Rukia was wearing Ichigo's shirt! The pair stood frozen in awkward, shocked silence. Thankfully, the cheerful voice of Yuzurang out through the house, indicating it was time for breakfast. Ichigo moved first as he grabbed a shirt that was hanging on his chair and put it on as he moved downstairs. Rukia eventually recovered from the shock as well as she jumped into her closet, changing into one of the sundresses she actually owned. Changed, she joined Ichigo in the bathroom where the two washed their faces and brushed their teeth. Again, it was Ichigo who left first from the bathroom to the dinner table.

As Rukia joined the Kurosaki family at the dining table, she realized that the awkward situation had somehow carried over to the entire family. Yuzu was sporting a bright blush that rivaled both hers and Ichigo's and Karin kept her head down, her short hair not covering her red cheeks all too well. The family's father, Isshin, seemed to be the only semi-normal person there: he still had the foolish smile he always wore, but wasn't trying to physically harm Ichigo for once. Rukia took her usual spot next to Ichigo, and Yuzu brought over her breakfast plate. Rukia gave a weak smile and Yuzu returned it. Dinner had been awkward but quiet, allowing everyone to take in as to what happened.

Finishing her breakfast before Ichigo for once, Rukia opted to take a shower first. She gracefully walked back upstairs to grab a change of undergarments and walked into the bathroom. Locking the door behind her, Rukia paused in front of the mirror. Rukia clearly saw her usually pale complexion have a bright shade of red. She sighed as she took off her clothing and jumped into the shower, trying to clear her mind as the cascading water ran down her soft skin. The warm water was refreshing and calmed the turbulent mind of Kuchiki Rukia. As she was washing her hair, she felt the familiar pull in her sub-consciousness, welcoming the sensation.

_"Sode no Shirayuki-dono," _Rukia spoke, her words echoing in her psyche. _"How have you been?"_

_ "I've been pleasant, young Rukia," _Sode no Shirayuki replied with her kind voice. Even though Rukia couldn't see her, she could feel the warm smile form her Zanpakuto's voice. _"Your thoughts seem troubled…what is on your mind?"_

_ "I thought that, since you are my Zanpakuto, you would know Shirayuki-dono," _Rukia replied respectively. She heard her spirit laugh in a kind manner.

_"Yes, of course I do. Don't linger in thought; you must be more bold in your pursuit of answers," _Shirayuki stated. _"Though, I must say…Ichigo-kun and Zangetsu-san seem to be in a similar situation as us…"_

Before Rukia could inquire about the Zanpakuto's last statement, her Soul Pager and Ichigo's Combat Pass started to ring, indicating the sighting of hollows. Rukia hastily rinsed out her hair and clothed herself before leaving the shower. She was greeted with the Shinigami form of Ichigo as she pulled out the Chappy Soul Candy and swallowed it. The two Shinigami then flew out of Ichigo's second floor window with their expert uses of shunpo.

As the two reiatsu's were fading, Kurosaki Isshin picked up his cell phone and held the number 3, speed dialing the number assigned to the key. Several rings later an awfully-cheery man picked up on the other line.

"Hellooo! This is the Urahara Shop! This is the store owner, Urahara Kisuke! We have some fantastic sales going -," Urahara spoke, but was cut short from his speech.

"Oi, Kisuke, its Isshin." Isshin spoke in his more normal, gruff voice.

"Ahhh! Kurosaki-san! How are you doing today?" Urahara spoke in the playful, annoying way that he always did. "How are you today? What do you require from this humble shop owner?"

"Nothing, except I think _hopefully_ my son and 'third-daughter' can finally fess up…" Isshin spoke in _his _annoying, playful voice. "Your and Yoruichi's plan was ingenious! I may have grandchildren soon!"

"My, my, Kurosaki-san! It's too early to celebrate!" Urahara spoke out. "After all, they won't remember _exactly_ what happened until after Ichigo goes to Soul Society!"

"Tch, its fine. Besides, it's not like you, me, and Yoruichi don't sneak into Soul Society!" Isshin stated triumphantly, a fist waving above his head. "Still, you evil man…mixing a Truth Serum _and _slight memory loss…you evil scientist!"

_Meanwhile, with Ichigo and Rukia_

Slaying the low level hollows was easy enough; Rukia never touched Sode no Shirayuki. Ichigo dispatched the hollows quickly and efficiently. Rukia smiled as the substitute Shinigami appeared and disappeared with his expert use of shunpo; his skills hadn't dulled at all. The home return was also strangely calming; like always, Ichigo carried Rukia on his back while he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. They arrived at the Kurosaki Clinic and had snuck into his room via his bedroom window. As Rukia returned into her gigai, she noticed Ichigo was still in his Shinigami form.

"Ichigo, why aren't you returning to your body?" Rukia asked.

"I need to visit a place first. Let Kon have my body for a bit." Ichigo said as he turned around, ready to shunpo out the window. "I'll be back before dinner."

"Oi, where you going, Ichigo?" Rukia yelled after the man as he disappeared. Rukia sensed Ichigo's reiatsu easily enough; he really needed to learn how to tame that vast spiritual energy. Rukia decided against following Ichigo at the moment, opting to call in to her Captain and brother for any updates in Soul Society through the Soul Pager. She didn't know where Ichigo was going, but his spiritual pressure was so strong that she'd be able to find him in an instant.

Ichigo pushed off the rooftops as he flew past buildings with shunpo. A crack of a smile appeared on his face for just a brief second, as he remembered racing Yoruichi throughout Karakura as part of his training. His minute smile faded into the trademark scowl when he stopped at the entrance to a cemetery. Ichigo walked through the gates as he navigated the neat rows of tombstone, stopping in front of one of the many. The tombstone was nothing special; it was the same rectangular stone with a rounded-out top. On the stone read "Kurosaki Masaki: Loving Wife and Mother. Deceased on July 17th." Ichigo slung his Zanpakuto from his back and placed it against the nearby wall.

"Mom…" Ichigo spoke out. "Mom, you'll never guess what happened to me since you passed away…"

Even though Ichigo knew his mother's soul wasn't in the gravesite, Ichigo recounted his life since meeting a certain petite Shinigami. He described what he had to do in order to get his Shinigami powers back, how he charged into Soul Society with his friends to save her. Ichigo went on to talk about his life after he rescued Rukia. He talked about what he learned with the Bounto invasion, and the random things that happened with the Kasumioji Conspiracy. Ichigo paused for a minute, before skipping a lot of the smaller details. He went straight to the Arrancar Invasion, his invasion to Hueco Mundo, and Aizen's defeat. Ichigo couldn't help but admit how miserable he was during the 17 months of solitude, not being able to protect everyone like he used to. Ichigo paused when he felt a familiar spiritual pressure appear behind him.

"Here you are, Ichigo…" a feminine voice spoke out. Her voice was relaxed, and lacked the stern air about it. Ichigo didn't turn around. "…your mother's grave…"

"Ah…" Ichigo acknowledged the new arriving companion. He turned around to see the raven-haired Shinigami behind him. "…I come here when I need to think…" _Or when I need to get stuff out of my chest…_Silence fell between the two, occasionally interrupted by the sound of the breeze rustling the nearby trees.

"Say Rukia…" Ichigo broke the silence between the two. "…how hard is it to find someone in Soul Society?"

"Well, Soul Society's vast, you know…" the Kuchiki responded. "There are 4 divisions: North, South, East, and West. Within these divisions there are about 80 districts per area. Why do you ask?"

"I want to find my mom," Ichigo spoke simply, as he turned around to face the Shinigami completely. "If she's at Soul Society, I'm going to find her."

"It'll be difficult…" Rukia started. "I mean, covering even the 'Noble' districts 1 to 10 on North, South, East, and West Rukongai takes at least a month."

Rukia's eyes met with Ichigo, which stopped her from outlining the near impossibility of the task. Ichigo's usual amber eyes were piercing through her own in sheer determination: his resolve was rarely broken. His resolve to protect was originally fuelled from the loss of his mother, after all. Rukia sighed as she approached him.

"I will do all I can to help you," Rukia spoke, a small smile gracing her features. That smile turned to something more evil as she gutted her companion in the gut.

"What the hell, Rukia?" Ichigo dubbed over in pain as he clutched his arms around his stomach. "You can't just abuse -."

"Sorry, you had that pathetic look on your face." Rukia teased. "And besides, I figured I'd save you from me giving you a pathetic speech _again…_and you know what I said will happen, right?*"

"Yea, yea, I remember…" Ichigo rubbed his stomach, his smirk returning. "And what, you think I'd lose my resolve on something this important?"

"No…but I will help you all the same, baka," Rukia said. The two stood facing the tombstone again, paying their final respects to the deceased. Whatever happened this morning was pushed aside for now; Ichigo had a personal mission that he had to see to the end. Mounting Zangetsu on his red cord, the two disappeared with the gentle "puff" sound of shunpo.

_Mom…I finally can do something to find you! No matter where you are in Soul Society, I will find you…even if it takes me a hundred years!_


	8. Chapter 8

A.N.: Day 4 and the Inauguration!

Thank you all to those that spend the time to read this publication. Just having people read the fic makes me feel good =]. Thank you to those 19 people who favorite the story, and the 30 people who put this on alert. I'd like to thank the people who listed this story in the 2 communities and the 3 people who listed me as a favorite author.

For those that left a review, I have shout-outs for you at the bottom!

Onwards, Captain Kurosaki!

* * *

_Chapter 8: Day 4, Departure, Inauguration_

The mood at the start of the morning was different, to say the least. Usually, there would be a silly shout of "Goooooooooood Mooooooooooooorning Ichigooooooo," followed by a swift kick, throw, or some other violent reaction from Ichigo. After his dad is most likely thrown out of the window, Ichigo would leave the room to shower first. Rukia would change into her outfit of the day which would usually be the school uniform or a sundress. Rukia would take her shower after Ichigo and join him at the breakfast table, where she would usually be greeted by Ichigo kicking or punching his father in some weird way. Karin would eat her breakfast in peace with the tiniest bit of a smile, while Yuzu would scorn both her father and brother for not eating.

Today wasn't one of those typical days. It started somewhat normal enough; Ichigo woke up when his alarm rang at 7. As he was stretching on his bed, Ichigo was mentally preparing himself for the flying jump-kick from his dad: only it never came. Confused and somewhat relieved, Ichigo grabbed his change of clothes and took a shower. When he returned, Ichigo knocked at the closet door. Ichigo kept knocking for a little while until his agitation grew, and threw the door open. What he saw was a bed that was made and his sister's pajamas folded neatly on top of it. Ichigo instinctively looked at the table and grumbled at the note that he found. Upon opening the note, there were a lot of W's in the letter, making it almost unreadable. _Picture of a watermelon…alright delete all the W's…_The note read:

_Strawberry,_

_ I'm off to Soul Society for debriefing and instructions as to what needs to happen next. Try to get to Urahara's by 8:00, I already had Jinta and Ururu carry your luggage there._

_Kuchiki Rukia_

"What the hell…" Ichigo scratched the back of his head as he crumbled the note and walked downstairs to the dining room. What he saw made Ichigo's eyes soften ever so slightly; his father was dressed in his 'Sunday Best,' Yuzu prepared his favorite food, and even Karin was dressed like a girl for once. Even though Yuzu was smiling, even though Karin was trying to look apathetic, Ichigo knew there was sadness behind the masks they put on. His father was the only one Ichigo couldn't read; then again, Ichigo barely knew all the secrets behind Isshin's past. After breakfast, Ichigo ran upstairs and looked around his room. Even though he double and triple checked yesterday, it never hurt to be sure. Ichigo grabbed his backpack and grabbed a few books from the shelf he bought but never had a chance to read. Ichigo looked at his bed one more time before closing the door. After meeting with his family at the front of the house, Ichigo took one last look at the Clinic before walking towards Urahara's Shop.

They arrived at Urahara's place and entered through the already-open front door. Ichigo walked into one of the many rooms that was in the shop, and found that the usual mat was removed. Ichigo pressed the Combat Pass to his chest, his soul flinging out of his body. As he threw the pass to Isshin, Ichigo leaned his body to the side of the wall. Isshin in Shinigami form grabbed both Karin and Yuzu and jumped down the long tunnel first, with Ichigo in tow.

"My my, if it isn't the Kurosaki family!" Urahara spoke out in his cheery voice, as the Kurosaki family landed on the ground of the training facility. "Kuchiki-san told us you'd be coming around now!"

"They needed me early or something like that…" Ichigo mumbled as he turned around to his sisters.

Saying goodbye isn't the easiest thing for anyone; especially if it's saying goodbye to your friends and family. Ichigo hugged a crying Yuzu and Karin tightly. Ichigo stood after a little while and shook the out-stretched hand of his father. As Ichigo grabbed his bags, he waved to his friends that came to see him off as well. With the trademark smirk, Ichigo waved at his friends and family and jumped into the gate. As his body passed through the Senkaimon, Ichigo heard something about his body being converted to a gigai from Urahara.

"Normal journey for once…" Ichigo mumbled to himself as he ran through the Dangai. Ichigo regretted saying that almost immediately as he heard the rumble of the oncoming Cleaner. "WHAT THE HELL? Why does this thing ALWAYS CHASE ME?" Ichigo ran as fast as he could while being chased by The Cleaner. Ichigo saw the white rectangular opening to Soul Society and dove for it.

_Soul Society_

"I wonder what's taking Ichigo-kun so long…" Ukitake mused as he stood in front of the gate. Before anyone could answer, he saw the orange-haired Shinigami flying out of the Senkaimon and landing on his face. Somehow, Ichigo's guitar case didn't shatter or crash to the ground. Ichigo stood up a few moments later, rubbing his face.

"God damn Cleaner…" Ichigo mumbled as he looked. "Rukia? Ukitake-san? Byakuya? Renji?"

"Hey, Ichigo-kun!" Ukitake greeted the Shinigami with a cheerful smile and a wave. "I see you made it just in time!"

"Renji, Rukia…bring Kurosaki Ichigo's belongings to the Manor." Byakuya spoke. Rukia and Renji greeted Ichigo and grabbed his belongings. "Kurosaki Ichigo, we must attend the Captains meeting. Follow Ukitake and me to the Captain-Commander's office."

"What…what the hell…" Ichigo sweat-dropped but followed suit. After several twists and turns, they arrived at the 1st Division Barracks. The door guards opened the massive double doors leading to the Captain's meeting hall as Ukitake, Byakuya, and Ichigo stepped in. When the door shut behind them, all the Captains were quiet.

"I thank you for attending this Captain's meeting on time, Kurosaki Ichigo," the gruff voice of Yamamoto broke through the silence. "You will be given the rank of Captain later this afternoon."

"Thanks, I guess…" Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "But there's 13 Captains already…which squad am I going to be a Captain of?"

"That is why I've called all the Captains and to this meeting," Yamamoto continued "Before you arrived, Captain Kurotsuchi explained the influx of souls with spiritual energy since the end of the Winter War. So after a thousand years since the 13 Divisions, we will open up a 14th. " Yamamoto finished. "The Squad is yours to command, Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Captain Kuchiki and Lieutenant Kuchiki are to teach you of the procedures of the ceremony to take place later this afternoon." Yamamoto waved a hand to his Lieutenant as he brought several of the white Haoris to the front. "Would you like a long sleeved, short sleeved, or no sleeved Haori?"

"Uh…" Ichigo deadpanned for a second. How did the conversations get form one subject to the next? "I guess I'll take the no sleeved one…"

"Very well, you will be presented with this later on today in the opening ceremony. Other than that, please welcome Kurosaki within our ranks. He will officially become a Captain after this afternoon's inauguration. Everyone is dismissed." Yamamoto tapped his cane onto the ground twice, and the Captains walked out. A particular Captain approached Ichigo before others, to Ichigo's dismay.

"Oi, Ichigo!" Kenpachi jeered in excitement. "I get to fight you to the death anytime I want! I'll be waiting!"

"Ken-chan's so excited and happy!" the high-pitched voice of Yachiru broke out. "Icchy, please play with Ken-chan again and again!"

_Why did I take this job again…_Ichigo asked himself as his scowl met the shark-like grin of the 12th Division Captain.

"Excuse me Captain Zaraki, but I must escort Ichigo to the Manor to prepare for his inauguration." Rukia's voice cut in. Not waiting for Kenpachi to retort, Ichigo grabbed Rukia's hand and ran out. When they cleared the 1st Division Barracks, they shunpo-ed away from the 11th Division Captain. Confident that there was enough distance for Kenpachi to get lost, the pair slowed down to a walk to the Kuchiki Manor.

"Thanks midget, for saving me," Ichigo mumbled as the pair walked towards the Kuchiki Manor. "I'm gonna get killed by that lunatic…"

"You idiot, you're going to be a Captain, he can't just simply challenge you without repercussion from the Captain-Commander." Rukia stated. Ichigo gave a sigh of relief as the two entered through the gates of the Kuchiki Manor. "Nii-sama has the procedures that you need to do so, please_ try _to be well-behaved…"

"What the hell does that mean, Rukia?" Ichigo growled back. "It's not like I disrespect the man…"

"Whatever…" Rukia trailed off as the two started to approach the Kuchiki Manor. As she instinctively flexed her fingers, she noticed that her right hand was being held by something. As Rukia turned to look at what her hands were holding on to, her face turned a bright shade of red. Rukia's hands trembled slightly before she let the orange-haired Shinigami's hand go. Ichigo looked down to see what was squirming around his left hand and had noticed the same thing: they had been holding hands. Neither had any words to say, the thoughts of '_How could I not notice I was holding his/her hand?' _ringing through their minds. They were luckily saved from their embarrassing moment as they entered the Kuchiki Manor.

"Kurosaki Ichigo…" the stern voice of Kuchiki Byakuya greeted them. "We have no time to meander, follow me to my study so that you may have some manners by this afternoon."

"What kind of greeting is that?" Ichigo blurted out. Before he could finish, Ichigo was met with Rukia's elbow to his gut and the cold stare from Byakuya. "A-alright…jeez, why are people uptight about something like this, anyway…"

Ichigo followed Byakuya to a large study room. The room was set up to reflect the set up at Sokyoku Hill later that evening. Byakuya was short and to the point: Ichigo _will _learn to act properly in a public setting with all the important heads in Soul Society in attendance. Any protests would be met with the educative tool known as Senbonzakura.

_Sometime Later, on top of Sokyoku hill_

"…with the influx of souls that have been brought to Soul Society post Winter War, Central 46 and all the Captains believed that opening a brand new 14th Division is appropriate." Yamamoto addressed the Central 46 and nobles of Soul Society. There were strange contraptions developed by the Technologies Bureau that transmitted images and sounds to all the Divisional Barracks.

"With that said, we have already chosen a worthy soul to lead this new Division. This man is none other than the former Substitute Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo." Yamamoto paused again. He opened both of his eyes slightly to see the crowd before him. Most of the noble houses had a look of disdain or contempt. The members of Central 46's faces were covered by a white hood in front of their faces, their numbers written in the front and the back. "Kurosaki Ichigo, step forward."

Ichigo moved from his position behind all the sitting Captains and moved in front of Yamamoto. He forced himself to one knee with his head bowed down. When Ichigo heard Yamamoto's call to rise, he did so. Vice-Captain Sasakibe passed a sleeveless Haori to his Captain. Yamamoto unfolded the Haori, the Diamond crest of the Court Guard Squads surrounding the Japanese Kanji for 14.

"With the presentation of this Haori marks the opening of the new 14th Division and the ascension of its new Captain." Yamamoto spoke as he held out the Haori. Ichigo stood and walked towards the Captain-Commander. When the Haori was placed in his arms, Ichigo took a deep bow before donning the Captain's Haori. Ichigo was motioned to take his seat next to the 13th Division Captain, who smiled at him cheerfully. Ichigo didn't really pay attention afterwards, his trademark scowl plastered on his face. When the ceremony was over, he was joined by Rukia.

"Glad you didn't embarrass yourself that much, _Captain _Berry," Rukia teased. Before Ichigo could retort, Rukia gave a small smile and said "Congratulations, Ichigo."

"Ah…thanks, I guess…" Ichigo replied as he scrated the back of his head absent-mindedly.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya's stern voice caught the two's attention. "Dinner will be served in my Manor, your presence is requested by the guests."

Byakuya disappeared from view as Ichigo and Rukia were swarmed by the other Captains and Lieutenants, congratulating the new Captain. Eventually, the crowd dispersed only leaving Ichigo and Rukia on the hill.

"You actually didn't embarrass yourself…Nii-sama's a great mentor!" Rukia crossed her arms with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"What part of chasing me with Senbonzakura was good…" Ichigo grumbled.

"What you say, Ichigo?" Rukia inquired, not hearing what he said.

"Nothing, nothing…" Ichigo spoke a little louder as he gazed out to Seireitei. He remembered the first time coming to Soul Society; to save the midget that was standing next to him. Second time on, Ichigo had come to Soul Society as an ally. Now, he would be a resident in Soul Society as part of the Shinigami.

"O-oi Ichigo…" Rukia stuttered. Ichigo looked at Rukia with a slightly puzzled look. _She rarely stutters…_Ichigo thought.

"What you want, midget?" Ichigo said, expecting an elbow to the gut, kick in the shins, or her heels on his toes. What came instead caught him by complete surprise. He felt her arms nervously snaking around his waist. Ichigo looked down with a baffled look on his face, his brain trying to understand what was happening. Ichigo's arms seemed to have a mind of their own, wrapping around Rukia. His mind flashed back to two days ago, when Ichigo found Rukia on his bed in the morning. Ichigo's turned bright red as he looked down, his eyes meeting with an equally red-faced woman. As abruptly as the hug came the hug ended. It was then Rukia decided to speak.

"We-welcome home, Ichigo."

* * *

Iris Irine: I have something planned for that DVD...now my question is how evil should I be...or rather, how much blackmail do I want Urahara, Yoruichi, and Isshin to have...:-]

Lightningblade49: Yup =] Though I don't know when, since I have the next 5 chapters planned out. Masaki will definitely come back =]

Draven NightHawk: Yes, I'm not the best when it comes to grammar, but as long as it's easily readable…I think that's the most important part. Thank you for telling me that the characters aren't OOC for the most part. This chapter might be a bit OOC though t.t

Dbzgtfan2004: Ichi/Ruki forever! Thank you for your kinds words

Aletheya: I tend to stretch things out a bit _too _much, but I thank you for reading =]

Martyna1: Thanks much =D. Now that its 8 Chapters in, do you still like how it's progressing?

Debido: Thanks! =D Have I improved on the detail portion? Please let me know? Maybe I went a bit overboard?

Theonedevin: You are the first person to write a review! For that I thank you. I'm continuing strong I think? =D


	9. Chapter 9

Author' Note: Thank you to the 26 people who put this as a favorite story, and the 36 that follow it! Means a lot to know there are people who will want updates to this story!

I've been losing some motivation lately…maybe some reviews will change that? *Hint Hint*

Replies to Reviews at the bottom…I'm trying to figure out how to make polls on here for couple other "guest" pairings.

This chapter is rushed a bit, I'm working on a "Present Time" Ichi/Ruki and having it published on his birthday, July 15th. May be a day or two later depending on when I release this, but that's my plan anyway. So only slight Ichi/Ruki here, almost exclusive on Ch. 10.

**O.O.C.** Warning…let's hope it's not so terrible, especially after one of the reviews T.T

Onwards, Captain Kurosaki

* * *

_Previously on The 14__th__ Division,_

_ Rukia blushed profusely as she hugged the orange-haired man before her. When she looked up, Rukia noticed that both of them were red in the face, so red that it would put Renji's hair to shame._

_ "We-welcome home…Ichigo."_

_Chapter 9: Enter, 3__rd__ Seat of the 14__th__!_

_**Present Time, At the 14**__**th**__** Division Barracks**_

"…are the shifts organized?" A high-pitched voice rang out through the courtyard. Her long turquoise hair flowed with the breeze. Her bodily features rivaled that of Matsumoto Rangiku from the 10th, but unlike the Lieutenant, she dressed more conservatively.

"Yes, 3rd Seat. The shifts have been set and the sub-squads are drilling as we speak." One of the Shinigami spoke after a brief salute. When the 3rd Seat nodded with a smile and a "good job," the Shinigami excused himself.

The 3rd Seat walked around the courtyard, observing the various training sessions that were taking place. As she passed by the training Shinigami, they all greeted her with an enthusiastic wave and greeting. Returning the greetings to match the enthusiasm of her subordiantes, the 3rd Seat eventually found herself in front of her office. When she slid the office door open, she sighed in relief as she saw there wasn't too much paperwork. The 6th and 13th Divisions had volunteered to take on most of the paperwork that was for the 14th for this week, as Ichigo and Rukia had to visit the Shinigami Academy for lectures and demonstrations.

The office wasn't the most decorated within the 14 Divisions, but it did have some expensive things in there. Rukia's brother, Kuchiki Byakuya, provided the furnishings for the entire office: the desks, chairs, bookshelves, even the calligraphy writings that were hanging on the wall. The 10th Division Captain had provided (with much nagging from his Lieutenant) various references to Soul Society history, laws set by Central 46, and various reading literature. There were three elaborate Zanpakuto-holding stands behind each of the desk, except for Ichigo's (also courtesy of Kuchiki Byakuya). The 3rd Seat smiled at the office; despite his outer cold appearance, she was sure that the 6th Division Captain respected and maybe even liked the orange-haired Captain.

The 3rd Seat smiled as she took her seat and looked at one of the picture frames on her desk. The picture had 4 beings in there. The tallest being pictured had only a loincloth on and his face was covered by an ant-like hollow mask. The second being in the picture was shorter, rounder, and wore a yellow body suit. Behind the two was an eel-like creature, its head covered with the white and bony material. In the center of it all was a small girl with a big, goofy smile, wearing a tattered green rag and her messy turquoise hair kept in check by the broken hollow mask.

"Pesche…Dondochakka…Bawabawa…," the woman mumbled to herself as she slid her Zanpakuto, Gamuza, to the stand behind her. Before she could reminisce about her Fraccion, the 3rd Seat was disturbed by the sound of the office door sliding open.

"Oi, Nel, we're back," the annoyed voice of Ichigo spoke as he walked to his desk. He slung Zangetsu off his back and into its sword stand and took off his haori.

"Hi, Ichigo!" Nel spoke happily as she saw Ichigo take his seat on his desk. "And Rukia! How was the Academy?"

"Hello Nel," Rukia replied with a small smile. "The first day went well. I got this lazy strawberry some exercise!"

"More like trying to get me killed…we finished the 'first day' 2 days later because I had to recover in the 4th _again_…" Ichigo grumbled to himself as he hung his Haori at the grip of Zangetsu. He sat down and flipped through the small stack of paperwork that was on his desk. "At least we don't have that much paperwork."

"You should really thank Captain Hitsugaya and Nii-sama," Rukia spoke as she and Nell took their seats. "They offered to take a portion of our work for us to go to the Academy."

"Yea I know…" Ichigo scratched the back of his head. The three fell into a comfortable silence as they attended to the small amount of paperwork. Rukia always finished first; her education in the Kuchiki house and prior experience as the Lieutenant of the 13th Division developed her into an efficient paper pusher. Nell would finish a close second since her hobby was reading complex literature from Soul Society and the Living World. Ichigo would finish a minute or so after Nell; he was in the top 25 of his class at one point in the Living World. When they finished, Nell fetched several Shinigami to transport the documents to their destinations. When the work was done for the day, Nell spoke up.

"Hey, do you guys want to have dinner together? I hear there's a restaurant in West Rukongai's 1st District that's supposed to be really good!" Nell spoke happily. Nell normally led a quiet life, her time mostly spent on reading. When she met a certain pink-haired Shinigami from the 11th, Nell loved to explore and try out new things. "Yachiru was supposed to meet up with me there too! Hope you guys can come!"

"Sorry Nell, we won't be able to…" Ichigo said with a sad expression.

"We promised Nii-sama that we would have dinner with him tonight." Rukia finished the sentence for him. Rukia looked at the scowling Ichigo, saying "What? You're the one that said you needed to talk to him about something!"

"I know, damn it!" Ichigo continued to scowl as he grabbed his Haori and Zanpakuto. "I just wish Byakuya wasn't so uptight even after 100 years…"

"That's why he's so cold towards you! You still don't show him any respect!" Rukia pouted as she grabbed Sode no Shirayuki from its stand. "Nii-sama does respect you, and normally you'd show respect in order to receive it, Ichigo…"

"Tch,…" Ichigo clicked his tongue, but didn't say anything more as the three filed out of the room. Ichigo locked the office door and faced the turquoise-haired 3rd Seat. "Sorry Nell, but tomorrow we're free. Definitely tomorrow?"

"Okay! Have fun!" Nell smiled brightly as she waved. She gave a reassuring wink, as if to say 'relax, calm down and you'll be fine.' Ichigo gave a nervous smile as a response before turning the other way, following Rukia. Nell disappeared from where she stood with her use of Sonido, and managed to jump close to the Western Gate. The Sekkisekki stone walls were still down; they had been down since Ichigo had tried to invade Seireitei to rescue Rukia. With changes done by the Seireitei Building Corps, the large Sekkisekki Gate remained up, allowing people to pass without Jidanbo's help. Before too long, Nell and Jidanbo felt a familiar presence quickly approaching them.

"Lieutenant Kusajishi! I trust that you two are going into Rukongai?" Jidanbo asked as he began to step aside.

"Yes we are!" Yachiru spoke cheerfully as the two talked away from the gate guard with a wave. "We'll see you later!"

"How are you, Yachiru-chan?" Nell asked as she hugged the pink-haired Shinigami. "It's been a while! You saw Ichigo earlier today right?"

"Mhmm! Icchy gave Ken-chan a _lot _of fun!" Yachiru cheerfully spoke as the two walked to the new restaurant that opened up in the district. "Where's Ichi and Ruki-chan?"

"They said something about dinner with Captain Kuchiki," Nell spoke as the two arrived at their destination. "Here we are!"

The two Shinigami walked into the restaurant and almost immediately were given seats when the waiter saw the Lieutenant badge tied loosely on Yachiru's left arm. The two sat down on one of the private tables in the back of the restaurant and were looking at their menus. Quickly finding what they want to try, the two ordered their meals and started to chat again.

"So why isn't Ichi and Ruki-chan here?" Yachiru asked as she took a small sip of tea.

"Well, technically Captain Kuchiki invited them…" Nell spoke. "…but Ichigo is going to ask him something."

"Oo! Oo! Tell me, tell me! What is Ichi going to ask Byakushi?" Yachiro asked, grinning widely.

"Promise not to tell?" Nell asked as she stuck out her right pinky. Yachiru agreed with a cheerful "Mmm!" and pinky swore. When they let their pinkies go, Nell continued. "I think Ichigo's going to ask Captain Kuchiki permission to marry Rukia!"

"Finally! Ichi and Rukiruki have been dating for how long?" Yachiru asked. She put her pointer finger on top of her lower lip. "Has to be at least 80 years…"

"Well, if you count the time before Ichigo officially asked her out, it's well over 90," Nell said in the same 'thinking pose' as Yachiru. "Still, for them to date this long without killing each other..."

Dinner was spent reminiscing about the past. Nell was rescued by Ichigo when a new set of Vasto Lorde rose in Hueco Mundo. Ichigo's 10 year-old 14th Division led the charge against the Hollow threat. With Pesche, Dondochakka, and Bawabawa's death in protecting Nell, Ichigo had brought the little Arrancar to the Living World to repair her hollow mask and stabilize her powers. Several months of debates and arguments amongst the 14 Division Captains, Central 46, and Ichigo, Nell was the first Arrancar allowed to live in Soul Society. From there on it was history; she met Yachiru, who never seemed to care if you were a Hollow, Human, Visored, or Shinigami. After meeting Yachiru, the rest was history; they were known as the mischief duo and sometimes still are called that today.

After dinner and dessert, night fell upon Seireitei. The Gate Guardians were all instructed to close the gate at 11:00pm and to let no one in after that time. The pink and turquoise-haired Shinigami walked through the open gate, waving Jidanbo goodbye. The two walked in a comfortable silence, sharing a smile that only best friends do. Soon, they reached a fork in the road and the two stopped.

"Well, time for me to go back to the 11th! I wonder if Ken-chan and Retsu-chan had a good time together…" Yachiru pondered to herself. She pulled out a pouch full of konpeito to share with Nell. She politely accepted the multi-colored candy and both enjoyed the exquisite taste of the hard candy. "Bye bye, Nell!"

"Bye Yachiru!" Nell spoke as Yachiru pushed off towards the left, leaving a dust trail behind her. Nell chuckled slightly at the disappearing friend; Yachiru knew how to use shunpo, but seldom used it. She ran fast enough. The 14th Division wasn't far from where she was, so Nell decided not to Sonido and walk instead.

Nel arrived at the 14th Division Barracks, where she walked through the courtyard and across the office, where the Captain's and Lieutenant's quarters were located. Since Rukia's Mansion was 5 minutes walking distance away, she opted to sleep there to give Nell a safe haven. She saw Ichigo's lights still on, so Nell decided to knock on the door. When she heard a "come in," she opened the door and closed it behind her.

"Nell, how was dinner with Yachiru?" Ichigo asked as he put a bookmark between a book. Nell looked at the cover and saw the name "William Shakespeare," on it.

"It was fun! Talked mostly about the past…how was _Itsygo's _dinner with Byakuya and Rukia?" Nell teased.

"It's Ichigo, not _Itsygo_," Ichigo grumbled as he put the book down. He looked at Nell with the biggest grin on his face. "Byakuya gave me permission! I'm just glad I didn't have to run away from Senbonzakura…"

"That's great Ichigo!" Nell gave a huge smile as she hugged the Captain with her signature death-grip hug. As Ichigo was flailing his arms helplessly, Nell started to shake him from side to side. "I'm so glad! Now all you have to do is ask Rukia!"

"N-n-n-n-ell, st-st-st-stop k-killing m-m-m-e…" Ichigo managed to choke out from the death grip. When Nell released Ichigo, he fell to the ground. His body was slightly twitching. "T-thanks…"

"When are you going to ask her?" Nell asked as she helped the twitching Captain back to his seat.

"Tomorrow. After the second day's lecture." Ichigo smiled as he grabbed a small blue box that was on his table. "Tomorrow…"

* * *

_Next time, on The 14__th__ Division, _

_ "M-m-marry me!" Ichigo shouted at Rukia. He gave himself mental slap on the forehead. Apparently, asking Rukia for her hand in marriage was more nerve wrecking then asking Byakuya for permission._

_ "W-w-what did you say, berry?" Rukia was shocked. Had she heard him right? Ichigo fumbled around with a small blue box and managed to open the lid with a ring. He bent down on one knee. It would be completely romantic, if his face wasn't completely beet red._

_ "It-it's a Living World thing…guy kneels with a ring, asks the girl to marry him…" Ichigo mumbled. Still completely red-faced, he looked up. "Kuchiki Rukia, will you marry me?"_

* * *

Bcsaturdai: I have fallen in love with your review. I don't think anyone's just flat-out told me "…fallen in love with it." I am continuing this, don't worry. I left a lot of things unexplained that if I don't continue, I think even the readers would rage xD

Aizawa Li Syaoran Vessalius: If you look at my long-winded explanation to Aletheya, I think you know how I'm going to iron things out. Thanks for your comment and keep reviewing please! I appreciate it!

Aletheya: Hello Aletheya! Thanks for commenting again! I'm hoping you still like it, despite its slow pace? ;-) The Flashbacks are over for now, I'm getting sick of writing in the past for now so it's current time, 1st day at the Academy is over [refer back to Ch. 1 if you forgot =)] for Ichigo and Rukia. Ichigo and Rukia are officially dating in the "present," with a surprise in the next chapter. After this and Ch. 10, I will finally get the DVD and their relationship thing ironed out. =]

Mugetsu-15: You sir/ma'am, are evil :-]


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Thank you to the 34 people who added this story as a favorite, 45 people who put this story on alert, 3 people who put me in their favorite lists, and the 8 people that put me on author alert. Seeing those numbers grow always lets me know that my story is read =] and people enjoy it.

I apologize for the long delay on this story…I've been wrecking my brain, and this shoddy chapter is the only thing I could think of…so as an added bonus, I made a mini-Omake for your imagining pleasure on the bottom. Review responses on the bottom as usual.

Again, so sorry for the lack of updates! I am starting a Martial Arts Academy where I am...so it's hectic.

Put me on Author Alert by the way! I am going to be writing a Naruto-based fic as well soon.

* * *

_Chapter 10: After Waiting Forever…_

_**Current Timeline **_

_"I-Ichi…go…" the soft voice of a woman whispered his name. She was holding her hand up, covering her lips from the shocked expression she wore. The usually taller, orange-haired Shinigami was on one knee, holding a small blue box in front of him. The content within the box glistened in the evening light. The orange-haired Shinigami had his usual smirk plastered on his face, but it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous. His reiatsu fluttered uncontrollably, forcing many of the Shinigami to perspire and breathe heavily. The raven haired woman uncovered her lips, revealing a very rare smile. Her soft, pink lips were about to form a single word, the word that this Shinigami had been waiting to hear all day. Before she could respond, a puff of white smoke obscured their vision. _

_ What appeared from the smoke was a wave of Chappy bunnies, surrounding both the orange-haired and raven-haired Shinigami. These numerous rabbits eventually gathered together to form one giant, super Chappy-robot. The robot had a banner across its chest, which sported a "Marry Chappy the Bunny," message. The raven-haired Shinigami took one look at the shocked man, before running off to the gigantic Chappy robot. And just like that, she was frolicking away, mini-hearts forming and popping from the woman's head._

"...Gah!" Ichigo's body jerked up off his bed. The sudden motion threw him off-balance as he landed face-first onto the hardwood floor. Recovering from the fall, Ichigo scratched his head with an agitated yawn. "What the hell was that dream…" As Ichigo slowly picked himself up, he glanced at the time: 12:00 P.M.

"HOLY HELL! I'M LATE!" Ichigo yelled as he rushed out of his pajamas and grabbed his shihakusho and Haori. He ran into his bathroom, where the bathtub was mysteriously set up as if anticipating his late arrival. Ichigo shoved the thought to the back of his mind as he walked into the tub and started to wash his hair. As he was cleaning up, Ichigo noticed that the shihakusho and Haori were folded neatly before he unceremoniously tossed them to the ground. Why hadn't Rukia woken him up? Ichigo grumbled as he scrubbed himself furiously. Finishing his shower in record time, he changed into this shihakusho and donned his Haori. He brushed his teeth soon after; his mind was too jumbled to process exactly what was going on. After finishing, Ichigo practically ran out of the bathroom, only stopping to grab Zangetsu and his Zanpakuto's red cord.

Slamming his door shut, he ran past some of his division's Shinigami, ignoring the salutes given to him. Ichigo mentally slapped himself in the face as he exited the office area into the courtyard. Ichigo stopped suddenly as he saw and felt the familiar presence of a particular petite Shinigami. Ichigo stopped to look at the Shinigami, who was trying her best to suppress the loud laughter that would erupt. Many of the Shinigami around her didn't fare as well; many of the newer recruits were rolling on the ground laughing. Ichigo was pissed and his reiatsu spiked, making most of his subordinates to kneel almost immediately. Only one that didn't seem to be affected was the fully laughing petite Shinigami.

"Ara, Kurosaki-kun~," Rukia spoke in that 'annoying' schoolgirl accent from a hundred years ago. "Did you have a fine afternoon, my dear Kurosaki-kun~"

"Damn it Rukia!" Ichigo retorted back. "Did you turn my alarm off?"

"Of course I did, berry…" Rukia spoke as she dropped the schoolgirl accent. A small smile lingered on her lips as she said, "Who else knows how to use that Living World technology here?"

"We're late for the Academy! It was scheduled at 9 o'clock, and it's already past 12 in the afternoon!" Ichigo was practically shouting now.

"Oi, control your reiatsu, strawberry! Look at your subordinates!" Rukia shouted back, pointing to the Shinigami around her. Ichigo was pissed, even more so because his subordinates always seemed to take enjoyment through this sort of thing. He took deep breaths, imagining a dam closing off a vigorous river, turning it into a small, calm stream. Rukia smiled as the pressure lifted off her subordinates. "That's better. Academy sent me a Hell Butterfly soon after you left last night, saying they needed to reschedule. I took care of it already…we'll be there tomorrow.

"Besides…I figured you'd like to sleep in once in a while…" Rukia spoke as she approached the disgruntled 14th Division Captain. Getting close to him, she reached up for a quick peck on the cheek. They both blushed furiously as they heard the multiple 'aww's' coming from the Squad members. "Though to be honest, you can thank Nel for that little idea…"

"Yea, whatever…" Ichigo scratched his head. As much as he was pissed off getting pranked in front of his entire Division, Ichigo noticed that it strangely strengthened camaraderie. "Alright, fun times over! Get back to training or work!"

"Yes sir!" came the cry from his Division members as they scurried off to the different part of the headquarters. Ichigo was joined by Rukia as he walked slowly back to his office. "Damned midget…I swear you cut years away from my life…"

"Just be glad I even spend the time with you!" Rukia shot back playfully, as she hit him on the shoulder lightly. "Nel and I already finished the paperwork for the day. We practically have a free day today."

"Rukia…" Ichigo started, but said nothing as their eyes met. The two rarely, if ever, said 'thank you' or 'your welcome.' When their eyes connected, their love, gratitude, and deep thoughts conveyed better than any string of words ever could. He suddenly remembered the events of last night, at the dinner with Byakuya. "Hey, think you can clear us an 8-hour pass to the Living World?"

"I guess? Where and why so sudden?" Rukia asked, curiosity written all over her face.

"Karakura Town…and as for why is a secret, midget," Ichigo smirked, even after Rukia's foot connected to a particularly bruised part of his shin. The two split up soon afterward; Rukia headed to the 12th Division to speak with their coordinator and Ichigo returned to his room, grabbing a small blue box. _I really hope that dumbass rabbit doesn't spoil this…_Ichigo thought.

_**Karakura Town**_

A lone Shinigami stood on top of the highest building in Karakura, his gaze slowly scanning the town for any troubles. Strangely, Karakura Town had remained as the spiritually-dense area it had been a hundred years ago, and would always require a Shinigami on duty. Today was one of those days: long, boring, uneventful. The Shinigami had managed to perform at least 20 konso's today, with no Hollow activity. The Shinigami jumped down to a smaller building to observe the people walking on the busy street. He pulled out a small book titled _'Guide to the Living World'_ by Lieutenant Kuchiki Rukia and Captain Kurosaki Ichigo, and read from it. He identified this area as the 'business' district, where humans went to buy clothing or anything else. As he tucked in the boring book, he couldn't help but notice a group of schoolgirls walking past. The Shinigami's eyes bulged out in the perverted sense as he started to undress them mentally. He saw the humans walk into a lingerie store. His hormones got the best of him and decided to follow the girls in; no one would be able to see him anyway. Before he could make it down the building, he was met with a swift kick to the head and stomach.

"What the hell? Who dare kicks the great -," the Shinigami stopped mid-sentence as he looked up. "T-the…14th Division Captain, Kurosaki Ichigo and his Li-Lieutenant, Kuchiki Rukia!"

"Oi, what division are you from…?" Rukia asked as she stared him down with her deep purple eyes. The Shinigami gulped.

"T-t-t-the 8th, ma'am!" The Shinigami gave a hasty salute. He saw the orange-haired Captain shake his head.

"A pervert would be from the 8th…" Ichigo grumbled as he grabbed the unnamed Shinigami's robes. "Do that again, and you might mysteriously find yourself joining the 14th Division, hear?"

"S-s-s-sorry sir! Won't happen again!" The Shinigami yelled out as he ran as fast as possible away from the Captain and Lieutenant. He shook his head as his eyes met with Rukias.

"So, we've visited your old school, where the Clinic used to be…you have one more place in mind?" Rukia asked as she jumped on Ichigo's back. Ichigo placed his arms under her legs to support the weight.

"Just one more…" Ichigo said as he jumped from that location. After several shunpo later, they found themselves by the riverbank. The sun was beginning to set as brilliant purple, red, and orange lights darkened the blue sky. The calm, clear river reflected the natural fireworks of the sky. Rukia let herself slip off his back and walked closer to the river. Ichigo couldn't help but smile; the lights that reflected off her purple eyes were indescribable. It was then that his Zanpakuto spirit made itself known.

_"Ichigo…"_ Zangetsu spoke in his usual gruff voice. _"Stop the earthquakes in your inner world…just ask her the question already…"_

_ "Yea Kingy, where'd ya balls go?" _Ichigo inwardly grumbled as his hollow snickered at him. _"We both know who's got the bigger testies…lemme out and I'll do it-"_

_ "Hell no, you crazy, murderous moron!" _Ichigo mentally shouted at his Hollow. Ichigo rummaged around his shihakusho and eventually found the small blue box.

_ "Never lose your resolve Ichigo…Don't look back…" _Zangetsu's voice echoed in his mind as he felt the two spirits leaving him be. Ichigo's feet found himself walking towards Rukia, who was staring at the river.

"I'd have to guess…both your Hollow and Zangetsu?" Rukia asked, not looking at the orange-haired Shinigami. When Ichigo gave a huff in reply, she gave a small smile. "Mind if I ask what it's about?"

"Ah…well…erm…" Ichigo scratched the back of his head again. When Rukia looked up, Ichigo was blushing. Rukia grinned evilly; she will prod him until she found out.

"Come on, Ichigo…you can tell me…" Rukia spoke as he hands grasped Ichigo's softly. She gave a small smile. "Please?"

_Shit._ Ichigo thought as he felt his face grow even redder. There was a look that he could never overcome in the hundred or so years of being with Rukia. Those sparkling eyes, the small smile, the physical contact, everything that Rukia was doing right now drove Ichigo crazy. Ichigo felt his mind scramble for an excuse, some sort of anything to get her to stop. Only thing Ichigo could think of was…

"M-m-marry me!" Ichigo shouted. He gave himself a mental slap on the forehead: apparently, asking Rukia was a lot harder than asking Byakuya for permission. His scowl had returned in full force and it would've seemed intimidating if it wasn't for the flushed cheeks. Rukia would usually laugh at this reaction, but not today. Her hands let go of Ichigo's as she tried to register what he had asked.

"W-w-what did you say…?" Rukia managed to say. Had she heard him right? Did Ichigo just ask for her to marry him? Rukia's look of confusion grew as Ichigo went down on one knee and fumbled around for a small blue box. He opened it to reveal a beautiful ring. The center diamond was surrounded by a pair of amethysts, sitting atop the golden ring. Ichigo sighed as he saw the confused look.

"It's a Living World thing…a guy's supposed to propose with a ring…" Ichigo mumbled, still completely red-faced. Rukia noticed that his usual scowl was replaced by something rare: a look of nervousness. "Kuchiki Rukia...will you marry me?"

"Ichigo…" Rukia started to speak. When the two made eye-contact, both people smiled. Ichigo grabbed Rukia's left hand softly as he slid the ring on her 4th finger. They say that soul mates have this interesting power: the power to communicate without verbal words. Rukia tip-toed up as she wrapped her arms around his neck and Ichigo bent down slightly to meet her halfway. Both of their eyes began to slowly close as their hair, forehead, and then nose made contact. A gentle breeze ruffled Ichigo's Haori as their lips finally met. Rukia had met him 103 years ago, secretly dated 90 years ago, officially dated 80 years ago, and was proposed by him on the same date. To Ichigo's confusion, Rukia broke the kiss abruptly with a slightly-agitated look.

"Ichigo, you baka! You were supposed to ask Nii-sama before me!" Rukia pretended to be annoyed at Ichigo's usual cluelessness to the inner workings of nobility. She decided to act the part by kicking Ichigo on the shins.

"Ow, damn it! I'm surprised you didn't break my shins already…" Ichigo mumbled as he rubbed the sore spot. "And I asked Byakuya last night…he said okay…"

_**The Night Before, Dinner at Byakuya's**_

Dinner had been delicious as usual, and had ended with tea. Rukia had excused herself as she was requested by one of the elders that resided in the Kuchiki Estate. When her gentle reiatsu was far away from them, Byakuya began to speak.

"Kurosaki Ichigo…you've requested this dinner for the purposes of speaking to me alone…" Byakuya spoke. Hearing no response from the orange-haired Shinigami, the noble continued. "Would you grace me as to the reason why you've requested a private audience with me?

As Byakuya's cold gaze turned to Ichigo, Byakuya couldn't help but notice the reiatsu Ichigo was admitting. He sensed that Ichigo was nervous about something, and since it most definitely had to do with Rukia. Byakuya mentally allowed himself to smile; this would be entertaining.

"Ah…yea…sorry about that Byakuya..." Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "Um…well, it's about Rukia…"

"Go on, Kurosaki…" Byakuya spoke with his usual steely tone.

"Well, we've been dating for a while now and…" Ichigo paused for a moment. "I-I was wondering if I can marry her?"

Byakuya's eyes widened a fraction before composing himself again. Byakuya honestly expected the boy to take at least half an hour before he got to the point. Ichigo made eye contact with him for the first time of this conversation.

"You, who have secretly started dating a noble behind the noble head's back…" Byakuya spoke in a cold voice. Kuchiki Byakuya was the head of the Kuchiki noble family, but it didn't mean he couldn't have his fun once in a while. "…for 10 years. You, who only publically announced their relationship only _after _getting caught by the mentioned head of the noble house, are asking me for Rukia's hand in marriage?"

"Um…yea?" Ichigo said. He mentally slapped himself on the forehead, he figured Byakuya would mention that. Ichigo cleared his throat and composed himself as best he could; this wasn't the time to be an idiot. "I mean…yes, despite that, I'm asking you."

Byakuya didn't say anything to the anxious orange-head. He merely observed as Ichigo was squirming from under his gaze. Ichigo's reiatsu was going fluctuating as well: all tell-tale signs of nervousness. Byakuya took a small sip from his cup; he was the head of the Kuchiki family. Even if he was a being of evil intent, he couldn't leave this boy in anticipation for too long. His pride and code of ethics forbade it. Byakuya placed his cup down on the table gently as he stood up. Ichigo silently followed the noble to one of the many gardens in the estate.

"Kurosaki Ichigo…" Byakuya said as he turned around to face the man following him. Byakuya's cold gaze softened as the noble allowed himself a fraction of a smile to appear. "…as the head of the Kuchiki Household, I will grant your request."

_Next Time, on The 14__th__ Division_

_"…so, my 'third daughter' is really GOING to be my third DAUGHTER! I'M SO HAPPY!" Isshin jumped around the mansion that he now called home. "This is great! Masaki, our son's finally grown!"_

_ "My, my, my dear Isshin…" Masaki's soft voice calmed the hyperactive father. "I think you're embarrassing our dearests'. Don't mind your father, Ichigo…"_

_ Ichigo had been able to resist the urges of kicking his father every now and then, but he would've kicked his dad if it weren't for two people: his mom and Rukia._

_ "Welcome to the family…Rukia-nee!"_

* * *

*Plus/Pluses: Refers to the souls that aren't earth-bound or turned to Hollow.

CracktheSkye: Thanks much! I write to entertain =]. I will do my best to bring a good chapter so don't worry =]

GetsugaTenshou1315: Thank you! This chapter was kinda hard for me to write…hopefully I wasn't too O.O.C. this Chapter!

Hellooworldx3: Thank you for your compliments! I hope to keep this going as much as I can!

Bcsaturdai: Thank you for your cheer =D. My defense is that its 100 years after Ichigo got his powers back during the Fullbring incident, so I always envisioned the old-Nell form to be a bit more mature than that. Though they have caused plenty of mischief when she moved to Soul Society initially…xD spoiler alert?

Azraelean: Awkward Ichigo was very Awkward, eh? :-]

Fokker333: I imagined Ichigo as a complete pansy when it comes to women, and since he has all the time in the world in Soul Society (considering he's a soul), he would procrastinate like a boss/bit-h, depending on your view. Hope this chapter made you laugh =D

Annonn: Thank you for your kind words! I'm grate for the 17 reviews (including yours) that I received. I know that there's quite bit of people that follow this story so, as long as it gets read I'm happy. =D

Metsfan101: Thanks man! And a Mets fan, you don't live in the Tri-State area do you?

Aletheya: When I was writing the preview, I was watching one of the Bleach Movies with Senna in it (I think it's the 1st Bleach movie, right?). I was actually watching the scene where he purchases the red ribbon for her, all nervous, uptight, and red in the face. Hope this made you laugh as well!

OMAKE:

_Captain's Protocol: Other Behavioral Issues, by Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, Captain-Commander of the 14 Court Guard Squad_

Rule One: Use of Bankai outside of Combat  
1: This Rule illustrates the misuse of Bankai, namely, outside of combat or training exercieses. Though not necessarily illegal in accordance to the laws of Central 46, this guide gives examples of Bankai "misuse."

A: When your subordinates have difficult time moving heavy furniture, or anything else…NO BANKAI! (See: Captain Komamura Sajin; Kokujo Tengen Myo'o)

B: If an embarrassing object, personal property, etc. is found unintentionally…NO BANKAI! (See: Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri: Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo)

C: When reprimanding a lazy subordinate…NO BANKAI! (See: Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro; Daiguren Hyorinmaru. See also: Matsumoto Rangiku)

D: When you are late for a meeting, function, etc….NO BANKAI! (See: Captain Kurosaki Ichigo: Tensa Zangetsu, Ressureccion)


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